Small Change to Kickstart Baez
Not sure if you’ve noticed this, but Javier Baez is striking out at an alarming rate. When David Ross was asked about maybe handcuffing Baez a bit, his response was essentially let Baez be Baez as that’s when he’s at his best.
He’s right. The worst thing you can do with aggressive players is ask them to be less aggressive. They’re in the position they’re in *because* of their aggressiveness. Part of that will always be dealing with empty at bats. That is ok, especially in today’s game. A strikeout isn’t the worst case scenario at times.
So, we want to live with the aggressiveness but find a way to spark his bat? And you (that’s me, the writer) has a way to help!? (This will be grand…)
Bat Baez eighth
I’m sure some of you have suggested a similar idea, but outside of obvious reasons of putting him lower to reduce the negative impact, do so to recreate the offensive force we saw in 2018.
Maybe you remember, maybe you don’t, but Baez started the 2017 season as the Cubs number eight hitter. He was still pretty unproven, and the swing-and-miss factor was very much a thing then. At some point, Baez worked himself out of it, he suggested it was by tossing the launch angle or exit velocity thoughts out of his head and allowing the game to come to him. But, even more importantly, he was more patient.
WHAT!? JAVIER BAEZ PATIENT!?
In his way, yes.
Through Baez’s first 20 games in 2018, he batted primarily in the eight-hole. In doing so, Baez not only posted a .299/.365/.740 line, but he also walked six times. It isn’t just the walking, but the necessary patience he needed since he was in that spot. Pitchers threw to him a lot more carefully cause they had an automatic-out in the pitcher’s spot right after him. So, while Baez would still swing at a TON of pitches, these were more calculated swings because he knew if he got on it brought the pitcher up and it rolled the lineup over going into the next inning.
Baez had the best season of his career, and a lot of it was because he started in that eighth spot and built confidence. Then, with Anthony Rizzo having a poor start, and Kris Bryant injuring himself in Cincinnati, Baez was thrust up in a more prominent role.
Right now, in the 2021 season, this couldn’t hurt – and could only help – the Cubs offense find some continuity. Regardless of how poorly he’s performed to this point, he would add a threat that no team has at the bottom of the lineup. I don’t like getting into the business of telling David Ross what to do, but this just seems like too good of an option right now to not explore.
