Much has been made of Jason Heyward's swing and the changes he made this offseason in an effort to increase his diminished production at the plate.

Heyward had an average exit velocity of 87.4 mph in 2016, ranking 282nd among 379 qualified hitters. He slashed .230/.306/.325 in 592 plate appearances.

The Chicago Cubs began helping Heyward revamp his swing shortly after the World Series, working to lower his hands and make his bat angle more vertical.

He struggled this spring, but has seen some positive results during the first week-plus of the season. His hard contact rate is up and his average exit velocity is on the rise. The sample size is small, but Heyward is hitting .296/.367/.370 in 30 plate appearances this season.