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Chicago Cubs: Becoming the star his supporters knew he could be
The first dose of true stardom happened in October and November 2016 when he went on a tear for the team in the postseason. His NLCS co-MVP honors shared with Jon Lester marked one of the many highlights of that run. He entered 2017 with a similar role as the year prior and things began to change.
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Russell, the supposed future MVP-type shortstop did not perform to par, had injuries mid-season and also saw the disturbing domestic issues come to public light. Baez began to see more playing time at shortstop and hit .288/.338/.500 with 10 home runs in the final two months of 2017. His growing popularity and growth on the field made his future with the team seem more concrete among fans.
Heading into last season, it felt like Baez had paid his dues, if you will, and was ready to be an integral piece of the club. And, as we all know, he was that and then some.
Over 160 games, Baez slashed .290/.326/.554 with 34 home runs and a 5.3 fWAR – by far the best offensive showing on the team. If you tack on his first 30 games of this season, he’s hitting .295/.331/.573 with 45 home runs and 137 RBI. The offensive stats stand out on there own, but factor in the diving stops, lightning-quick tags and incredible stolen bases and one thing becomes abundantly clear. He is truly special and needs to be a member of the Chicago Cubs for a very long time.
Obviously, the opinions of fans and the organization itself vary, and not all fans had the same thoughts on Javier Baez as time went on. This is more or less how I and some people I knew felt. It is a perspective from one eye seeing a kid with potential turn into something great.