After a personal hiatus from all things writing, what better way for me to get back into the saddle than to focus on the primary object of my affection: Javier Baez? The Cubs’ infielder has given us no shortage of things to talk about (some of which he’s responsible for and some of which he’s […]
Tag: Javier Baez
Quantifying the Cubs’ Quest to Control the Strike Zone
The ultimate match-up in baseball is the confrontation between the pitcher and the batter. And more than anywhere else, that battle is waged in and around the corners of the strike zone. Mindful of this, Cubs President Theo Epstein has preached that his team must “control the strike zone” in order to be successful ever […]
Surely We Know What Javier Baez Is By Now, Right?
It seems like every year, as spring creeps ever closer, I find myself asking the same questions about Javier Baez: What is he? Can his approach be fixed? Is there more OBP in there? A player that has always had immense upside, he came into the league as something of a wild card, with enormous […]
2017 Player Profile: Javier Baez
Position: 2B/SS 2017 Statistics: AVG OBP SLG HR TAv wRC+ FRAA WARP .273 .317 .480 23 .274 98 -7.4 2.3 Year in Review: As hard as it may be to believe, 2017 was really only Javier Baez’s second full season at the Major League level, as injuries and inconsistency had hampered him in the couple […]
It’s Time for the Cubs to Act Like the Dodgers: Part 2, Offensive Depth
Yesterday, I covered how the Cubs should go about addressing their rotation and bullpen for 2017. Today, I cover offensive depth. The Cubs NEED to Implement Their “Depth,” Platoon Aggressively, and Joe Maddon NEEDS to be Willing to Adjust… Like the Dodgers and Dave Roberts I put depth in quotes because Chicago’s “depth” has a […]
Javier Baez needs to refine, not change, his game
While there cannot be any question as to the excitement level generated by one Javier Baez, there are certainly polarizing elements of his makeup and skill set as a major league player. A free-swinging, flashy fielder is going to draw the ire of some in the baseball community, and the reaction after his recent slide […]
Has Javy Baez Established a Long-Term Position?
It’s extremely difficult to think of a player who has the ability to change the game on a dime in the way that Javier Baez can. In the past few weeks, the injury to Addison Russell has seen the door open to an everyday role for Baez, with the impact being felt at the plate, […]
Ian Happ’s Role Down the Stretch
There was a point this season where Ian Happ felt like the only thing that had gone right for the Cubs. The rookie came up in mid-May and immediately started raking. Ten of his first twenty-five hits went for home runs, and he was one of the few players keeping the team from sinking further […]
Javier Baez: Acknowledging The Good Over The Bad and The Ugly
It has taken about 1,100 plate appearances at the Major League level, but we’re finally getting a sense of who Javy Baez is. Not that his skill set wasn’t always relatively apparent. But in his age 24 season in which he’s already logged almost 340 of those PAs, there’s finally some semblance of balance in […]
Like Magic: On the Value of Javy Báez
To fully appreciate the Javier Báez experience, one must love drama. For those who buy in, thrilling highs, confounding lows, and rare delights await. They know his body of work features more than a few empty at bats. But redemption comes in impeccably well-timed hitting, no-look tags, swimming slides, pilfered home plates, and so much […]