Heyward’s defense has made Cubs even stronger

Jason Heyward’s first season with the Cubs has been a challenge, as his batting average shows. But don’t label it a disappointment before it’s over.

While Heyward is hitting .225 with only six home runs, his play in right field has contributed greatly to the Cubs being the best defensive team in the Major Leagues, as measured by Baseball Prospectus’ defensive efficiency rankings. His avoidance of pouting and other forms of self-indulgence in the clubhouse has kept the air clean, not polluted, for a team that is on pace to win 103 games.

And who knows? Maybe the four-game break he received from manager Joe Maddon over the weekend will help him hit like the guy he was for six seasons in Atlanta and St. Louis — a .268 hitter who gets on base 35 percent of the time and moves the needle with a .431 slugging percentage.

Heyward’s at-bat in the fifth inning against the Padres’ Edwin Jackson on Monday suggests he may have found something with his timing, if not his confidence. He lined the 1-1 pitch foul by inches down the right-field line and then followed with a two-run homer to right two pitches later.

Watching his teammates react on the bench, it was clear how much respect they have for Heyward.

“He’s going to be there for us at the end, man,” Maddon said Tuesday on his weekly show on WSCR-AM. “He’s a winner. I’ve said that a hundred times. This guy is a winner. I believe in him. I trust him. I trust him on the baseball field. The hits are going to start coming.”

Heyward had his batting average up to .247 on July 9 but went into a 2-for-32 slump that contributed to him hitting only .217 in July. He’s been even worse …

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