Coming into the season, everyone knew the Braves were going to need Jason Heyward healthy and productive if they were going to win their first NL East title since 2005.
While Heyward isn't quite hitting like he did last year, there is no denying his impact is felt every time he takes the field. And now that he's fully recovered from an appendectomy, he's starting to really drive the ball and work the count.
Here is the Braves stat of the day:
When J-Hey is on the active roster, the Braves have a 21-5 record. That's including the eight-straight they've won this past week. When Heyward was on the disabled list, the club went 9-13.
Obviously that .807 winning percentage isn't all tied to Heyward being healthy, but it's pretty impressive nonetheless. Here's hoping he and the Braves can push that mark to 22-5 this evening as Julio Teheran battles Shaun Marcum on Sunday Night Baseball.