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Dodgers’ Jason Heyward calls revamped swing a ‘work in progress’

March 25, 2023

GLENDALE, Ariz. — If the mechanic says your car needs an overhaul, you probably need an overhaul.

Jason Heyward has avoided using that term to describe the spring swing project. He has acknowledged the need to make changes after his offensive decline resulted in an unceremonious end to his time with the Chicago Cubs last year – “If you have the last year and a half the way I had, you’d expect to make changes,” he said early this spring.

But Heyward has characterized the swing changes he is incorporating into his offensive game as “nothing new,” more of a return to “things that I’ve seen myself do” in the past and a ripping off of “Band-Aids” that accumulated over the years.

“It felt like an overhaul for me. So maybe we have different definitions,” Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc said. “But from my perspective, it’s been an overhaul.”

How well that overhaul works will determine whether Heyward can revive his career with the Dodgers and write a better ending than the Cubs’ decision to move on without him despite owing Heyward $22 million this season.

Van Scoyoc said the project began the way they always do – with video study – and then progressed from there once Heyward signed with the Dodgers.

“Just kind of went back and saw when he performed in the big leagues what he was doing,” the hitting coach said. “When he was really solid, that was seven, eight years ago so we didn’t really use that as much of a model as we normally would. So we kind of just hopped in the cage, made observations and went from there. So it was a little different from other guys.”

The changes Van Scoyoc and Aaron Bates suggested were “from the ground up.”

“We worked on his lower half, his legs, how he uses his back side, hand position, bat path, sequencing – all of it,” Van Scoyoc said. “We kind of did everything.”

The changes were fundamental. Heyward had gotten “a little crashy,” diving out to meet the ball and hitting off his front leg, making him prone to chasing pitches. So the Dodger coaches worked with him on “kind of screwing into the ground and … getting into a position where he’s more balanced, more athletic, holds the ground with his back leg,” Van Scoyoc said.

Heyward has also changed his hand position in his setup, a change that long-time friend and reconnected teammate Freddie Freeman noted when the two worked out this winter. Heyward’s hands are away from his body more so than they had been in years, giving him “more freedom” to get to pitches.

“If you play for 15 years, you’re going to see over time some different setups, some different stances,” Heyward said.

“Working with Robert, working with Batesy and the rest of the group – I’m not doing stuff that I haven’t done before and they’re asking me to do something that’s a different language.”

The results this spring have been mixed. Heyward hit two home runs in the first week of Cactus League play but leveled off and finished 10 for 47 (.213) – disappointingly similar to Heyward’s average over those final two seasons in Chicago (.211).

“For as long as you play, it’s a work in progress. Just like life, right?” Heyward said.

“You get in spring training and you work on things and then you go face pitching. Guys are not going to be as good because it’s not the same preparation as in season when you’re studying and breaking down game plans.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts echoed the “work in progress” assessment, adding that it was never expected to be “linear.” With Heyward technically a non-roster invitee this spring, Roberts has already said he didn’t have to win a spot. But James Outman’s spring emergence has pushed Heyward into the trail position among the three left-handed outfielders that will be on the season-opening roster (David Peralta, Outman and Heyward).

“Jason made a bet on himself signing with us,” Roberts said this week. “With that, he’s going to be on our ballclub. That in itself proves something to himself. Now with that, how at-bats are distributed – that is yet to be determined.”

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Orange County Register

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Dodgers’ Jason Heyward calls revamped swing a ‘work in progress’

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