Chicago Cubs: Javier Baez has progressed significantly since his debut

Once nothing more than a top of the line prospect with tons of raw talent and potential, Chicago Cubs standout Javier Baez is taking things to a new level.

Javier Baez was drafted by the Chicago Cubs as the ninth pick in the 2011 draft as former GM Jim Hendry’s final first round pick. He was viewed as a shortstop that featured tremendous pop in his bat, a rocket of an arm and an extremely quick glove.

Baez climbed the ranks of the Cubs organization quickly and made his major league debut on Aug. 6, 2014. The Cubs were out of contention at this point and wanted to see what they had in Baez, who had been raking in Triple-A with 23 home runs and 80 RBI.

I’ll always remember Baez’s debut, as he was one of the first Cubs in a long time to come in with so much hype and promise. He showed a glimpse of that potential by hitting a game-winning solo home run in the top of the twelfth inning against the Colorado Rockies. While the home run is what everyone will undoubtedly remember, before that point, Baez had gone 0-for-5 at the plate with three strikeouts.

That ultimately set the tone for the rest of Baez’s 2014 campaign with the Cubs, which was really boom or bust. It seemed like all Baez would really do was a hit a home run or walk back to the dugout after a strikeout.

In his 52 games that season, the shortstop hit just .169 at the plate to go along with nine home runs. To make matters worse, Baez was set down on strikes 95 times and struck out in an alarming 41.5 percent of his at-bats.

The Cubs of course expected to see Baez show improvements in the 2015 season but he never really got the opportunity. He spent most of his time playing in Triple-A due to a broken finger and the death of his sister. He only managed 95 total plate appearances in the majors between the regular season and the postseason, but he posted a .278 batting average and dropped his strikeout percentage to 29.5 percent.

Chicago Cubs: Baez becomes a full-time starter for the Cubs

After a stellar postseason, it was impossible to keep Baez out of the Cubs starting lineup. With age starting to catch up to Ben Zobrist, the decision was made to make Baez the everyday second baseman. The move was a no-brainer.

Baez built on a solid 2016 season at the plate and put up much bigger power numbers. In 2017 he hit 23 home runs and recorded 75 RBI compared to 14 home runs and 59 RBI the season prior. He posted the exact same batting average from a season ago, hitting .273 with 128 hits.

A huge difference for Baez at the plate was his patience. He increased his walk rate from 3.3 percent to 5.9 percent. He recorded 30 walks on the year which doubled his efforts from 2016. Although his walk rate increased, his strikeout rate did as well. Baez still struggled to lay off that pitch in the dirt and struck out 28.3 percent of the time.

While Baez started to hit his stride at the plate, he finally got his opportunity to play shortstop full-time when Russell went down with an injury. He relished in the opportunity and for awhile it seemed like every game featured a must see play from Baez. He wound up playing more innings at shortstop than at second base and really made the case to be the full-time shortstop even when Russell returned.

While Baez certainly improved over the course of the season, he showed inconsistencies at times. Most notably, Baez disappeared once the postseason began as he went 0-20 in the first seven games.

Chicago Cubs: Baez breaks out to become a full-blown superstar

2018 was a season to remember for Baez. He posted career-highs in nearly every offensive category, hitting 34 home runs and driving in 111 RBI to go along with a .290 batting average. With former MVP Kris Bryant out most of the season with injuries, Baez was forced to step up and he delivered in a big way.

A lot of things seemed to change for Baez last season, especially his approach at the plate. In the past, he has primarily been a pull hitter but he used the whole field in 2018. This season he hit to the ball to the opposite field 26 percent of the time which was a career high. He also hit the ball harder than he ever has in his career, making hard contact 35.8 percent of the time.

Baez’s improvement’s at the plate since entering the league are night and day. A perfect example is when Baez hit a game-tying double in the Wild Card game against the Rockies. He was facing an 0-2 count, didn’t panic and took a much more controlled swing to make contact and drive the run in.

Baez was hands down the best player on the Cubs this season and without him, they probably don’t go to the playoffs. Along the way, he was voted to his first All-Star game and finished as the runner-up to Christian Yelich for the National League MVP.

One thing is for sure, Baez has made tremendous improvements since being drafted by the Cubs. He of course still has that pop but he is almost unrecognizable as a hitter when it comes to his approach. He has developed a much better eye and has much better plate discipline so he won’t always chase that pitch low and away anymore.

The best part about all of this; Baez is still only 26 years old. He may not have even reached his full potential yet. If that’s the case he’ll just continue to get better and better until he takes home the National League MVP himself.