On Saturday morning, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny made it clear to reporters, including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, that after batting leadoff for the Braves in 94 games last season, new Cardinals outfielder Jason Heyward would occupy a different spot in the Cardinals lineup in 2015. Here’s more from Matheny from Goold’s article:

“I’ve told him (Heyward) that,” Matheny said Saturday morning before the team’s second official workout for pitchers and catchers. “It came after, Where do you see yourself? That’s where we’re going to start this. What kind of hitter does he want to be? Where does he feel that he can bring the most to this team and bring out his talents? It’s in a spot at least in his own mind and he can get in there and drive the ball.”

During his 694 plate appearances in the leadoff spot last season, Heyward hit .270 with a .343 OBP and a .393 slugging percentage. The Cardinals are hoping that a more aggressive Heyward deeper in the lineup will be able to make it back towards reaching his stats from the 2012 and 2013 seasons, in reach he posted .479 and .427 slugging percentages, respectively. Goold has more on how Heyward’s teammates think a more aggressive Heyward would better help the team:

Teammates with the Cardinals, including Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday, have both described in the past week how a more aggressive Heyward — a hitter who is free to let his swing go so his talent does — would fit the Cardinals lineup better. They have the depth to let him do that, and they have an All-Star leadoff hitter in Carpenter so, as Matheny said Saturday morning, the Cardinals don’t need a No. 1.

Read Goold’s full article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

 

Article image used under Creative Commons from Bruce Tuten. No changes made. Creative Commons License.