Heyward's an instant hit with Braves

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – To answer the question on everyone's mind: Yes, Bruce Manno's sunroof has been fixed.

"I'm waiting for the miniseries to start," Manno quipped on Thursday.

Manno is the Atlanta Braves' assistant general manager. Despite his important role in the team's front office, he's not the sort of guy whose name appears in newspapers and blogs very often. That changed when outfielder Jason Heyward, a spring sensation for all the right reasons, shattered the unsuspecting pane of glass atop Manno's Toyota 4Runner with an immense batting-practice homer.

Distance: 450 or 460 feet, maybe more.

Cost of repairs: about $3,000.

Instant legend status: Priceless.

Braves executives park their cars in a lot beyond the right field wall at Champion Stadium. Balls have clanged into that area before, denting trunks, buzzing security guards and teasing at the possibility of more significant damage. In fact, Manno can recall catcher Brian McCann and first baseman Freddie Freeman also strafing the area with BP homers.

But they aren't the talk of Braves camp right now, even though McCann has made four consecutive All-Star teams and Freeman is one of the top 50 prospects in baseball. Nope, the Braves' Disney compound has become Camp Heyward, and a home run that didn't count was the flash point of it all.

The team has even made plans to erect netting in order to prevent further mayhem from Heyward's mighty left-handed swing.

Sounds like a lot of hype, I know. But for an industry built on differences of opinion -- you can probably find someone who will tell you that Roy Halladay is going to struggle in the National League -- there is a startling level of consensus when it comes to the 20-year-old Heyward.

I have spoken with nine people about Heyward over the past few days. Not one has said, "He's not ready for the majors," or offered similar buzz-muting statements.

Heyward is currently involved in the competition to become the Braves' starting right fielder, and, barring injury, I fully expect him to win it.

I am not alone.

On Wednesday afternoon, Chipper Jones was asked to predict the date of Heyward's major league debut.

"What's Opening Day?" Jones replied. "I would be shocked if he doesn't break camp with us."

"If he wins the job, he wins the job," manager Bobby Cox said. "No holding back. He's been pretty impressive."

With Heyward, hyperbole has become sport. The industry echo chamber is producing some pretty unforgettable statements about the 6-foot-5, 240-pound kid, who, lest we forget, has fewer than 200 at-bats above Class A.

One scout told me Wednesday that Heyward is as good as Ken Griffey Jr. at the same age.

"That caliber," the scout said, nodding. "He's so special."

Will Heyward be as great as Junior? I don't know. He hasn't even played a major league game. But if Heyward is even 70 or 80 percent as good, he would be an outstanding right fielder for the Braves this year. And that's the job for which he is applying.

Heyward has done a remarkable job of remaining himself amid the fervor. Before Wednesday's game, he was engaged in an animated discussion about basketball with his fellow non-roster invitees. He looked as if he were about to play against the Carolina Mudcats or Montgomery Biscuits, not the New York Mets.

"It doesn't feel different," Heyward said, after going 1-for-2 with a double in the Braves' 9-5 win over the Mets. "More people are paying attention now to the team, to myself, but my approach has stayed the same. I've always expected the same for myself."

But Heyward is not just another guy, competing for another job, in another camp. He grew up outside of Atlanta. He still lives outside of Atlanta. He could very quickly become the new face of the organization - an African-American star in the big, multicultural city close to his home.

He is widely regarded as the top position player prospect in the game. He is on the cover of this year's Baseball America Prospect Handbook .

Even better: He doesn't act like he's on the cover of this year's Baseball America Prospect Handbook .

"He's as humble as anyone I've ever been around," said Braves outfielder Matt Young, a minor league teammate of Heyward's. "He's not one of those holier-than-thou types. He gets along with everybody. He fits in.

"He's just a good dude."

Heyward's name is on everyone's lips now because of his talent, but the "good dude" factor won't hurt. If he lives up to the scouting reports, Heyward will be as popular as Ryan Howard in very short order. With status comes attention and pressure.

Heyward said he feels "ready" to play in the major leagues, and, by all accounts, he appears grounded enough to deal with the successes and failures that will go with that. His parents, Eugene Jr. and Laura, are graduates of Dartmouth College. As he sat at his locker, Heyward cited one familiar-yet-effective lesson they had taught him: "Work for what you get."

It should come as no surprise, then, that Heyward said he hasn't been reading the stories about him this spring.

"He's himself - that's what impresses me," Jones said. "He doesn't try to be anything else. He's learning. He's quiet, which is good from a rookie. You can tell he was brought up right. He's got a good head on his shoulders.

"He's going to fit in here, not because of his physical ability, but because he knows how to play the game right."

Heyward's overall game might be more impressive than the BP moon shots. He's a patient hitter who accumulated the same number of walks as strikeouts last year (51) despite playing most of the season at 19. Cox raved about Heyward's defensive instincts after Wednesday's game, saying he's "waaaay ahead of the game at his age."

Heyward has strong hands and a relatively short swing, making him a hitting coach's dream. He understands how to hammer balls to the opposite field. His double on Wednesday was a low-flying laser that one-hopped the wall in center. "Scorched," was the description of one person in the scout section.

"He doesn't know how good he is," Braves catcher J.C. Boscan said. "He's the best player I've seen at that age, period."

Barring injury, there would probably be only two reasons for the Braves to start Heyward in the minors. Neither is very compelling.

1. The team could save money by keeping his service-time clock at zero. On the other hand, they have so much to gain by promoting him now. In addition to his obvious potential to contribute, he will draw fans to Turner Field on his own.

2. Skeptics can point out that the Braves may not want to put someone with zero big-league experience in their Opening Day outfield, as they did (unsuccessfully) with Jordan Schafer last year. But baseball people familiar with both players offer an easy counter: Heyward is a better, more refined player.

About the only thing he hasn't done this spring was set the new glass on Manno's sunroof himself. But Manno seems OK with that.

"Next spring, I'm getting a convertible and putting the top down," Manno said, laughing. "That's probably going to be my next move."