(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Javier Baez has become a superstar for the Chicago Cubs, but are there areas that he can improve whenever the 2020 season begins?
After being drafted ninth overall in 2011 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs, Javier Baez was promoted to the major leagues in August 2014. He smacked the game-winning home run in extra innings at Coors Field that day and has been a staple in the Cubs lineup ever since.
He had a critical home run in game seven of the 2016 World Series that knocked Corey Kluber out of the game. In 2018, Baez became a household name, finishing second in NL MVP voting to the Brewers’ Christian Yelich. He followed that up with a .281/.316/.531 slash line with 29 home runs and 85 RBI in 138 games last season.
Statcast Batting Statistics
According to Statcast, Baez recorded the highest barrel percentage last year at 12.7 percent, which is quite a jump from 6.0 percent in 2016. His 91.0 mph exit velocity was a career-high but at a career-low 7.6-degree launch angle.
El Mago became a well-rounded player hitting .270 off fastballs, .294 off breaking balls, and .275 off offspeed pitches last season. To demonstrate how far he’s come, Baez hit just .230 off breaking balls in 2016.
Batted Balls
Baez had a career-high 50.3 percent groundball rate with 18.1 percent line drives and 31.6 percent flyballs rounding out his batted balls. In 2016, he was primarily a pull hitter, but he hit the ball to all parts of the field last year; 36.1 percent to left, 36.1 percent to center, and 27.9 percent to the opposite field.
As noted, Baez hit the ball hard last season, a career-best 37.4 percent with just 18.0 percent soft contact.
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Baserunning
Last season, Baez stole 11 bases, which was approximately half the number he recorded in 2018 (21). He went 8-of-12 stealing second base and 3-of-5 stealing third. The Cubs, as a team, were lousy on the basepaths, but Baez recorded seven outs on bases. With nine outs recorded in the same fashion in 2018, this is one area that Baez and the Cubs need to drastically improve in 2020.
Fielding
While Baez is known for his defensive prowess, the numbers indicate that he was roughly league-average in terms of fielding at shortstop last season. With a .973 fielding percentage, Baez also committed 15 errors at the position.
Three of those came via fielding, and the other 12 came via throwing. His defense has largely been improved at second base, but it appears that’s no longer the plan for him and the Cubs.
2020 Projections
Fangraphs had projected Baez to produce a .273/.312/.517 line with 31 home runs and 97 RBI (108 wRC+). His projected .327 BABIP would be the lowest since his 2014 season. Whenever the season does begin, Baez will be one of the more prominent run-producers for the Cubs, but look for him to clean up his defense under the new manager, David Ross.