PT TOMORROW: NL Central—Baez destined for bottom of order?
Mar 16 2021
Javier Báez’s (SS, CHC) future is far from certain in Chicago, but there’s little doubt that he will be locked into their lineup as the everyday shortstop in 2021. However, his skills declined significantly in the shortened season, highlighted by his lowest contact rate (66%) since 2014, as well as subpar xBA (.222) and xPX (87) marks. With that in mind, he’s been a divisive player in the early draft season.
Part of the calculation regarding the potential for a Báez bounceback will revolve around where he bats in the Cubs’ lineup. Entering the 2021 campaign, Báez hit fifth or lower in the team’s order for 1,366 of his 2,708 career plate appearances. However, the majority of those appearances came in 2016 and 2017, his first...
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