FCP on OS: Jason Heyward and Expectations
Maybe it is just another characteristic of our instant answer society. Maybe we no longer have the patience to wait. But, there is something in our society that makes us continually get excited about something and then just as quickly move on to the next great thing. Technology changes and evolves. Suddenly, that phone we just bought a few months ago seems outdated compared to the newer, exciting model.
That attitude has long been prevalent in the way we consume sports. We have a certain affinity for “the next one”. Every prospect in the Minor Leagues is the next potential superstar or the player who would make the Major League team infinitely better right away. We get carried away with the possibilities.
At the beginning, anything is possible. A player really could be the next Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays. We conveniently forget that both of the legends struggled at the beginning of their careers before realizing their potential and becoming superstars. We want to believe that the prospects can become instant stars. Some actually do. Stephen Strasburg has dominated since he first step foot on a Major League mound.
The reality is that most take some time. Mike Trout looked a bit overmatched in 2011 before making 2012 a season that few will forget. Bryce Harper’s remarkable rookie season is actually the outlier in terms of age 19 seasons. Most players–even the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. actually take a couple of seasons before really hitting stride as a Major Leaguer.
It’s easy to forget that Heyward is just 23 years old.
But, it certainly is easy to forget.
Outside of Atlanta, most have forgotten how special of a player Jason Heyward is.
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