Javier Baez enjoying for the Detroit Tigers; CC by License 2.0
In 2016, the Chicago Cubs broke the franchise’s 108-year World Sequence drought with a seven-game sequence win over the Cleveland Indians. That season, the Cubs despatched seven gamers to the All-Star Sport, together with infielders Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, and Ben Zobrist, outfielder Dexter Fowler, and pitchers Jake Arrieta and John Lester. Within the years following the title, nonetheless, it was second baseman (turned shortstop) Javier Baez who would depart arguably the best affect on the Chicago groups of the late 2010s.
Born in Puerto Rico and drafted ninth general to the Cubs in 2011, Baez debuted with the workforce in 2014. He struggled in his restricted enjoying time, showing in simply 80 video games over his first two seasons in MLB. In 229 plate appearances over 52 video games in his preliminary marketing campaign, Baez collected simply 36 hits and 15 walks, whereas putting out 95 instances, averaging practically two strikeouts per sport. This compulsion to swing at each pitch he noticed has been a constant theme all through his up-and-down profession.
With Cubs Supervisor Joe Maddon’s love for defensive versatility, Baez was an ideal match for the 2016 title-winning workforce. On the plate, Baez started to point out some promise, slashing .273/.314/.423 whereas sitting slightly below league common within the offense-heavy run setting of the late 2010s with an OPS+ of 94. Baez’s true worth for Chicago was his protection, which earned him the nickname “El Mago,” that means “The Magician.” Whereas sharing the infield with 4 All-Stars, Baez ensured his on a regular basis position by rating within the 99th percentile in Outs Above Common, in addition to the 94th percentile in Fielding Run Worth. When mixed together with his 92nd percentile dash pace, Baez appeared within the subject primarily at second and third base, but in addition was trotted out at shortstop every now and then. He even began six video games at first base and two video games in left subject in 2016.
Regardless that his refusal to stroll and willingness to strike out persevered into 2017, Baez continued to additional his breakout. With 2016 All-Star Addison Russell’s play taking a pointy decline, ultimately mixed with off-the-field bother that successfully ended his MLB profession, Baez took his elite protection virtually completely to the center infield, splitting 153 video games between second base and shortstop. Baez was basically a league-average bat in 2017, ending with a 102 OPS+, however he broke the 20 house run mark for the primary time and amassed a bWAR of two.6.
Baez’s true breakout got here in 2018 when he completed in second place in Nationwide League MVP voting. He smashed practically all of his career-best marks, racking up 34 house runs, an NL-leading 111 RBI, and a bWAR of 6.4. Baez additionally made his first All-Star Sport and gained a Silver Slugger. His strikeout points persevered, nonetheless, as he struck out 167 instances, matched with solely 29 walks. Baez’s 2018 Baseball Savant web page is among the most telling pages in baseball, as he ranked within the prime 10 % in xSLG, Barrel Proportion, OAA, and Baserunning Run Worth, whereas concurrently rating within the backside 10 % in Chase Charge, Whiff Charge, and Stroll Charge.
Baez’s stardom continued to shine in 2019, though he missed 24 video games as a result of harm. If not for the missed time, Baez’s 2019 season would have been a close to mirror picture of his earlier yr. He made his second All-Star workforce and performed such elite protection to enrich the robust bat that he piled up a career-high 6.6 bWAR within the barely extra restricted enjoying time. Baez’s most spectacular stats in 2019 had been his a hundredth percentile rankings in OAA and Fielding Run Worth, seemingly a direct results of Baez taking up his pure shortstop place full-time.
Baez, like so many others, struggled within the 60-game Covid-shortened season, however he rebounded properly in 2021. 5 years faraway from the 2016 World Sequence title, the Cubs seemed to start a rebuild after failing to return to the Fall Traditional. On the 2021 commerce deadline, Chicago moved on from the remaining core, flipping Baez to the New York Mets together with pitcher Trevor Williams for prime prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Whereas his bat was as soon as once more league-average on the time of the commerce, Baez put collectively the very best 47-game stretch of his profession in a Mets uniform. As a Met, he slashed .299/.371/.515 and lower down barely on his strikeouts to kind a lethal center infield with fellow star Francisco Lindor. Regardless of his triumphant resurgence, the Mets suffered a horrendous collapse within the second half, going 21-37 after buying Baez to complete 77-85 after holding a 56-48 document on the time of the commerce.
After the 2021 season, Baez signed a six-year, $140 million cope with the Detroit Tigers, as he seemed to guide a younger workforce to the highest of the AL Central. As an alternative, Baez’s contract has confirmed to be one of many worst in all of baseball. In 280 video games between 2022 and 2023, Baez collected simply 245 hits and 26 house runs whereas putting out a whopping 272 instances. His saving grace over these two seasons was his protection, which remained elite at his major place of shortstop. That has not been the case in 2024, nonetheless, as Baez has slipped into the underside 10 % in OAA and Batting Run Worth, in addition to his standard Chase Charge and Stroll Charge.
In 2024, Statcast launched new expertise to trace bat pace, which reveals how briskly a participant’s bat strikes throughout a given swing. Baez ranks within the 93rd percentile in bat pace, with a median of 75.4 miles per hour, exhibiting that his self-discipline and speak to points could also be a consequence of him swinging out of his cleats practically each at-bat. Baseball Savant’s zone charts present that almost all of pitches Baez receives are down and away, out of the strike zone. Baez has proven all through his profession that he merely can’t alter to the down and away breaking ball, leading to numerous clips of him chasing sliders within the different batter’s field.
It’s not as simple because it sounds to simply cease swinging at unhealthy pitches, but when Baez could make the required changes, there may be nonetheless hope that he can return to the participant that he was for Chicago. In the intervening time, nonetheless, the Tigers are caught together with his contract for an additional 4 years as they proceed to battle within the surprisingly robust AL Central.
