Cubs Quick Hits: Jason Heyward’s Considerable Improvement in Launch Angle

“Jason Heyward…weak grounder to second…throw to first and out,” was uttered way too many times throughout the defensive star’s first year in blue pinstripes.

His frequent ground balls in 2016 are succinctly visualized in the launch angle map below, which shows Heyward’s 2016 results. The broad gray and red areas in the first chart contrast sharply with those in the 2017 map below it, meaning that Heyward is hitting more pitches at a positive angle.

2016

2017