Bacardi Untameable - Javier Baez swinging hard into bright future
Javier Baez, the prospect long hailed as the savior of the Chicago Cubs, attacks baseballs like they just hurled an insult at his mother. In batting practice, Baez's violent swings elicit awe from his veteran teammates who marvel at the 21-year-old doing things that 21-year-olds shouldn't be able to do.
It didn't take Baez long to exhibit his preternatural power last month, as the ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft ostentatiously announced his arrival in the majors with an opposite-field, extra-innings home run in his Cubs debut to secure a 6-5 victory over the Rockies.
[Courtesy: MLB.com]
Baez's game-winning homer, however, was preceded by three strikeouts, a performance that very much encapsulates the divisive prospect, whose ungodly power and dubious approach left scouts torn over his ultimate role at the major-league level.
There's little nuance in Baez's approach at present, as the youngster swings hard and swings indiscriminately. Only two other rookies have offered at a greater percentage of pitches outside the strike zone, and Baez has proven especially vulnerable to pitches down and away. He is, however, keenly aware of how pitchers are attacking him and what he needs to do to adjust.
"They're just trying to make me chase and once I keep doing it, they're going to keep throwing it in the ground," Baez said last week after taking some swings in the batting cage at Rogers Centre. "I just got to leave those pitches on the ground and make them throw over the plate."
Pitchers are currently attacking Baez with a steady diet of breaking balls - only 16 players have seen a lower percentage of fastballs this season (minimum 180 plate appearances). Though plate discipline has never been one of Baez's strongest attributes, he has demonstrated an uncanny ability throughout his professional career to make adjustments when he encounters adversity.
When he opened the 2014 campaign at Triple-A Iowa, Baez was clearly overmatched, exploited by more experienced arms who took advantage of his hyper-aggressive approach. He hit just .142/.229/.255 with 45 strikeouts and three home runs through his first 28 games, mercilessly picked apart by pitchers roughly six years his senior, on average. However, the precocious infielder was able to turn things around relatively quickly, managing a .964 OPS with 20 home runs and 23 doubles over his final 76 games in the Pacific Coast League.
His abrupt turnaround coincided with the arrival of Manny Ramirez; the 12-time All-Star joined Iowa in May to serve as player-coach and was tasked with mentoring some of the club's top prospects. Cubs president Theo Epstein insisted the move was not a publicity stunt, and Baez's fruitful relationship with Ramirez speaks volumes about the 42-year-old, frequently chided for his antics throughout his major-league career.
"He's one of the best friends I've ever had," Baez said of Ramirez. "He's one of the guys that talks to you like it it is, straight up, and he talks to everybody like he's their buddy."
Mired in the first prolonged slump of his major-league career, however, Baez no longer has Ramirez to console him. After cranking seven homers with a .769 OPS through his first 19 games, Baez has hit just .149/.219/.250 with 44 strikeouts and eight walks over his last 24 contests, recording just two multi-hit games over that span.
Epstein, though, remains confident that a slump will allow Baez to grow as a hitter and better prepare himself for 2015, according to CSNChicago:
As tough as it can be to watch sometimes, this is exactly what Javy needs. He’s going to end up going into the offseason reflecting back on this. Over time, it will sink in that despite what pitchers do to him, he controls the at-bat. He can’t get away from his strengths. He can do as much damage as anyone in the game when he’s patient and gets a pitch that he can drive.
Strikeouts will likely always be abundant for Baez - despite his intention to "get a good pitch to hit and hit it hard somewhere," he often deviates from his plan by expanding the strike zone. But as a middle infielder with obscene power, Baez is a special player with a chance to become a star despite some on-base deficiencies.
Whether his first trip around the major leagues ends with a splash or a sputter, Baez remains an indispensable member of the new era beginning on the North Side of Chicago. Along with Anthony Rizzo, Jorge Soler, Kris Bryant, and Arismendy Alcantara, Baez embodies the end of the unyielding futility that characterized the Cubs for the last century.
The Cubs remain hopeful that 2014 is the final chapter of their painstaking rebuild, in which they jettisoned major-league talent and trimmed payroll to infuse their farm system with premier prospects. The club is similarly optimistic that Baez's struggles in the majors this season will encourage him to make some adjustments as 2015 rolls around. Baez, however, doesn't seem too preoccupied with the future at the moment.
"I'm just trying to do my best and stay here - don't go back to Triple-A or down there - I just want to stay here and help the team to win," he said.
The future, though, has already arrived in Chicago. It wears No. 9.