Chicago Cubs: Javier Baez or Yoan Moncada moving forward?

Javier Baez of the Chicago Cubs and Yoan Moncada of the Chicago White Sox are both primed to be Windy City stars. Who will be better moving forward?

The Chicago Cubs have been a contending team for the past several years, while the Chicago White Sox are considered to be a team on the rise and could even contend in 2020. Both in terms of the Crosstown Classic and just being a baseball fan in general, it figures to be a fun next few years of baseball in the Windy City.

Both teams have lots of great young stars. Two of the biggest stars are shortstop Javier Baez of the Cubs and third baseman Yoan Moncada of the White Sox. If these two players continue on their current track, not only will they be great players, but they’ll also spark debate among Chicago fans as to who is the better player.

Last year, the two players were pretty even, at least in terms of WAR. Baez posted a 4.8 WAR, while Moncada came in at at 4.6. Both have always had a lot of upside; for example, Baez was a consensus top ten prospect back in 2014, while Moncada was a top five prospect in 2017. Even though these two play different positions, fans figure to have strong opinions on both players moving forward.

There’s one area in which Moncada has a clear edge and that’s in cost. Baez will make a lot more over the next few seasons because he has more service time, while Moncada is still pre-arbitration eligible. Yet, if we put all that aside, which player will be better moving forward? Let’s take a look at the case for both.