More statistical awesomeness from Kevin Goldstein at Baseball Prospectus about our young phenom, Jason Heyward:
But just how unique is Heyward? To find out, I had our staff run a quick search of every player who, as a corner outfielder, had 300 or more plate appearances in the big leagues as a 20-year-old. I didn't expect a long list-but I was surprised to see it was this short: Just 17 players in major-league history fit such criteria. [...]
Of those players on the list, nearly half (eight) of them are now in the Hall of Fame and two active players, Justin Upton and Miguel Cabrera, at least have a chance to get there. The 17 players, including those still active, combined for 123 All-Star Game appearances and eight MVP awards.
So, just by virtue of being a kid with the talent to make it to the Majors and play 300+ at-bats at the age of 20, Heyward has a 50-percent chance of being a Hall of Fame caliber player. Look, he hasn't done it yet, but it's something to keep in mind when watching him that you're likely watching the first at-bats of a future Hall of Famer.