MLB’s Most Overrated Player: The Rise and Fall of Javier Báez…

[@DaWARRoom]

Will Javy ever bounce back?

[@Baseballify]

Nah

[@Brhoward31]

Not unless he learns to shorten his swing and see pitches better. The fact that he can't recognize even a hanging slider is crazy. He probably has anxiety but doesn't want to get the help

[@kiefdemon1979]

No

[@ShaqFuGuru]

He has to put in the work to change his game. Pitchers are going to keep exploiting his dogshit strikeouts if he isn’t going to improve. But he got paid and already getting benched for not paying attention to the game.

[@Urie157]

I don't think so

[@farlow126]

Looks like he has gained about 30 pounds since he signed with the Tigers. I don't think he even cares anymore.

[@adamwhite5832]

Doesn’t look like a body thing to me, he looks fine. It’s all in the mind for Baez. He plays an awful brand of baseball, even watching him the other day as a jays fan, I was sick. This man needs to get his head in the game

[@satisfactors]

@@adamwhite5832 no it’s not he doesn’t care cause he got the bag

[@SantosSaysMedia]

@@satisfactors no it's not that. It's that Detroit sucks and it is where most careers go to die. Baez made a mistake signing there now he needs to deal with it. Detroit signed Baez and surrounded him with nothing other than prospects. He needs more help!!!! Tigers are a garbage organization.

[@marianorivera3272]

@@adamwhite5832 I know exactly what you mean, I thought the same thing watching that game. The guy is shook for some reason. This won’t go away on it’s own, he needs a catalyst to get out of it. Maybe a trip to AAA would be the best thing for him right now.

[@danejurus69]

30 lbs? Cmon. He looks 10 lbs heavier really.

[@VivekBabbar]

As a cubs fan I can't even put it into words how cool this guy was to watch. I wish you success wherever you go, Javy. I hope that you figure out your mechanics soon and give us all the grand old El mago show ❤️

[@MoneyMethodman]

Fr I’m rooting for him. He was so exciting to watch

[@lucasmills9959]

Your favorite player's favorite player

[@CubsWin2012]

He will always be legend in Chicago. He was brilliant.

[@DavidZ7785]

​@CubsWin2012 absolutely not a Chicago "legend". U gotta consistently produce for many years to be considered a Chicago legend. Having 2-3 good seasons doesn't come close to meeting the criteria

[@CubsWin2012]

@@DavidZ7785 A legend is someone who leaves behind an unforgettable impression on others. As a key and unforgettable member of he 2016 World Series champion team, Javy is legend in Chicago. We've never seen a player like him before or since.

[@resmarted]

You forgot to mention when he stole home in the 2016 NLCS! An unforgettable moment for me and very characteristic of Javy's all or nothing style that made him so interesting to watch and also likely led to his downfall.

[@jmanuelvillalobos4971]

While memorable even that play was a boneheaded one from Baez

[@resmarted]

@@jmanuelvillalobos4971 Boneheaded play by the catcher to throw to third.

[@jmanuelvillalobos4971]

@@resmarted exactly Baez was fortunate the catcher had a brain fart.

[@resmarted]

@@jmanuelvillalobos4971 I like to think Javy baited him

[@jmanuelvillalobos4971]

@@resmarted you're welcome to think but the fact of the matter is he is most certainly reckless and has been lucky but luck can only work so long if you keep playing with fire

[@johnspadaro5442]

Really like the channel bro. Just wanted to point out that barrel % isn’t actually based on hitting the ball on the barrel. A “barrel” in this context means contact with an exit velo and launch angle that produces a minimum xBA of .500 and xSlug of 1.500.

[@C4m4r0]

Being a Chicagoan, I think Wrigley Field for right handed hitters needs to be looked at in a similar vein of Coors Field or Yankee Stadium for lefties. While Wrigley is super deep down the lines due a weird fence line, the right field power alley is high school ball level short at 368. The deepest part of center at 400 feet is also fairly far to the right field side of center meaning you only have to carry a ball about 390 feet to dead center with the basket. In the summer the wind is always blowing out and with a short height of a stadium, wind comes into play a lot more. Javy, while he did have a fair share of Waveland bombs, did hit a ton that landed in the basket that would be outs in other stadiums and considering the stadium he plays in now, it's not surprising his numbers have fallen drastically.

[@fordy5612]

If you are judging this based off the nlcs homerun then you are mistaken. That was in the basket because it was like mid october with wind blowing in 15 mph. If there wouldn’t have been wind that ball was in the roof tops. He crushed that ball.

[@C4m4r0]

@Fordy I'm basing it off of Javy and many other players for the cubs over the years making a living flipping a ball into the basket at the 368 sign. That ball was crushed and I know that in April and October the wind changes in Wrigley, but May through September it's extremely easy to hit home runs for a right handed batter and the basket takes about 5 feet off the distance to hit a homer

[@thelastmanonearth2631]

@@C4m4r0 yep, you speak the truth.

[@71manny89]

Wrigley is two ball parks in one. Sure there are cheap Homer's in the basket but I have seen balls get destroyed only to be blown 30 ft back into play. I think it all evens out

[@VivekBabbar]

Lmao 😂 this isn't how you describe a 200 avg drop. Javy used to feed off the crowd and Detroit can never ever give him that. He gets confidence from the crowd and that is hard to change from him. If he ever comes back to Chicago he'll play much better, but we are better off without him

[@frankyperez9665]

You are spot on in the video As a Puerto Rican Cub fan who lives in Chicago, Javy meant alot to us. We even named a street after him. Awesome defensively. Our hitting coach was Chili Davis in 2018, who did wonders with Javy. Why we let him go is beyond me.

[@perryegolson833]

I live in Detroit, and I am seeing on a daily basis precisely why Chicago let him go.

[@jennyanydots2389]

You're not a Rican. Rican's can't read therefore can't write comments on jootube. Apologize for trying to dupe the internet Franky boy.

[@joebobmarley2854]

That is a great point! We had Chili Davis in Oakland previous to him going to Chicago and he did wonders with the A's. Chili Davis is a really good hitting coach! We consistently had a great offense while he was in Oakland under Bob Melvin. I wasn't sure why the A's even let him go, that didn't make sense to me.

[@sheckwes9845]

As a Baez fan this is a sad reality. I hope he can turn it around. Love that my Cubs are doing good but was hoping Javy was on top too

[@pikijuiyii777]

Yea, most of the time players you care go away, and you still follow. Rizzo and Baez where a good duo.

[@martinelliotedwards1883]

Just a reminder as everyone piles on Baez…that baseball is hard af.

[@ihitahomer7821]

He’s a professional, Baseball is very hard though

[@gomez3357]

And he used to make it look easy

[@lordmegatron8444]

It's harder when your trash.

[@Tooch24]

No shyt

[@ninecool11]

I more so knock him for his horrible plate discipline. Like you don't need to swing at every pitch. It doesn't seem like he's trying to improve at it

[@bazzer124]

As a Cubs fan who had endured nearly half of the 107 years between championships, it was kind of a given that players traded FROM the Cubs would go on to enjoy superb careers away from the Friendly Confines (most famously, Brock for Broglio). Seems to me that changed when the Ricketts family got rid of much of the 2016 championship team as they were on the decline. A definite rarity for the Cubs to get better after getting rid of their core. As with Baez, Rizzo has been no great shakes in NY and Bryant isn't at that greatness threshold he was in Chicago (though still a plus player). Go Cubs, Go! Cheers....

[@robt3298]

You should do a video on marcells downfall he’s batting a impressive.085 this year 😂

[@FlyHenryFly]

Hes got the bag. Hes been done ever since he got traded from the Cubs. Hundreds of former baseball players have said its hard to stay motivated when your team sucks. Javy needs inspiration and aspiration and he will produce, but Detroit only knows losing.

[@heartstriker2831]

case and point, the duality between him playing since he Joined the tigers and him playing for team Puerto Rico, I feel that his fun came back for a bit there but the moment PR got eliminated back to the tired and strikeout king baez... kinda sad for me honestly

[@AV57]

The Cubs were still a competitive team when he started to turn into a bum.

[@FlyHenryFly]

@@AV57 that was a COVID year where there was nobody cheering for him. after that he had a slightly below average year, and was still deadly as a fielder. Then the Cubs had a terrible month leading up to the deadline, then he got traded

[@AV57]

@@FlyHenryFly Excuses are for bums. Bums like Baez.

[@FlyHenryFly]

@@AV57 so I bring up a valid point to contradict your point and you call it an excuse? great way to end it.

[@Iraaklobster]

He just did a comeback, in the las 15 games his avg is .315, 10 RBI, 17 hits & .783 ops 🤷🏻‍♂️he doesn’t wanna play with Detroit tho

[@earllutz2663]

I hope that Javy is able to come back, and do an outstanding job, as a ballplayer.

[@KryMoore]

I remember Gary V trying to hype this dude beyond belief and claiming he didn’t own any of his graded cards.

[@joselopezmoya9786]

THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH JAVVY BAEZ IS THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY DISCIPLINE AT THE PLATE AT ALL, PLUS HE HAS A LONG SWING. HE NEEDS TO SHORTEN HIS SWING.

[@thomasfrench2012]

I will admit that the only frustration I had with him was his propensity to swing at balls so low and away that they would have been behind Rizzo's ankles, had Rizzo been standing in his normal spot in the opposite batter's box. However, he brought plenty of excitement with his clutch hitting (which made one wonder why he couldn't always do that,) his fielding, his snap tags for outs that no one else would have even come close on, and let's not forget his ability to avoid a tag. He could steal second, third, and home without the batter even lifting the bat off of his shoulder. I believe he is just trying too hard to earn his big contract. If he will just forget about that, Tiger fans will see him as the exciting and plus player that he really is, even if he has never developed plate discipline and developed an occasional case of Castroitus.

[@iamjeepy6]

You hit it on the nose, as a Cubs fan i watched a lot of Baez and have said multiple times that if he can be one of the best hitters in the game if he can figure it out at the plate. When he is on he is almost unstoppable, but that does not happen very often. There is no reason to throw him a stike for he does not walk and will swing at the pitchers arm motion. I feel that he would swing even if the pitcher holds on to the ball.....

[@BradleyDavis-ge5yv]

I think the reason he sees pitches in the strike zone is ML pitchers are not used to pitching to such undisciplined hitters and hard to adapt to throw pitches outside the strike zone after working so hard to make all your pitches in the strike zone, or just outside the strike zone. Pitchers work hard to get ML batters to chase, but this is for pitches that are just outside the strike zone, with Javy as you said does not need to be even close, just throw where a LHB would be and 3 pitches latter Javy walks back to the Tigers dugout.

[@cheddarcheese7928]

Never trust a ball player who strikes out a lot and rarely walks..That’s a combination for eventual failure

[@joshuastar77]

As a Rangers fan, I know that to well, well, that player still walked alot, but yall know what I mean. A certain Joey Gallo.

[@Nicky2Chains]

I think you did a good job with the video but I would just say I don’t think you really covered how electric this dude actually was… Idc what anyone says about Javy. I’ll remember him for his great years in Chicago. He struck out a lot so what. He was a big part of the reason why we won a World Series. NLCS Co-MVP, MVP runner up, gold glove and many times all star. El Mago was won of the most fun Cubs to watch ever. I’ll always love me some Javy Baez. And the rest of that core btw.

[@kenosabi]

Yeah that's great. But that's YEARS ago now and doesn't remotely apply to whether he's CURRENTLY a washed up and very over paid dude. Because he is.

[@joeyb2899]

Man when he homered off of that Rockies player after they hit Kris Bryant in the head for the second time… chills I still remember the stare down. Gotta love el mago

[@dethbot0]

His homer off Ceuto in the series against the Giants in 2016 is one of my favorite memories as a Cubs fan and baseball fan. Really hope he turns it around.

[@ninjasteph8350]

that was insane. wind was gusting in that day. he hit that ball a mile and it still only barely made it into the basket.

[@Secondcitysavage2318]

He doesn’t hit that homer we don’t win that game and maybe don’t even get to the World Series that was such a moral boost and clutch hit that helped us when we went into game 5 in San Fran and even in the series

[@mizer9510]

I think Javy really benefited from playing at Wrigley, and was comfortable being a Cub. The fans loved him and he loved the fans. Detroit just doesn't seem like a good fit for him. He doesn't have the same passion. I hope he gets it back because he is so much fun to watch when he's on.

[@ninjasteph8350]

Im a cubs fan living in michigan right now so i hear a lot of slander on his name but no matter what they say about him, i will forever remember him as a star that help led the cubs to a world series which man people never got to witness. I was clearly a strikeout machine his entire year so paying him that highly was clearly a huge gamble by the tiger's front office and they got burnt.

[@shaindaman13]

I think seeing his championship club get broken up and traded away had affected what would’ve likely been just a regular slump. I mean he did have that killer, once in a life-time-time play where he lured the Pirates 1st baseman to chase him back to home plate and let a run score then end up on 2nd base just a short time before he left Chicago. He can produce but I think he needs inspiration and unfortunately all the city of Detroit knows is desperation.

[@pohorex6834]

Yep, I recommend people watch “baseball today” with Trevor plouffe and Chris rose, Trevor plouffe, being a former player, discusses how impossibly hard it is to stay motivated when you know your team is gonna be awful

[@unkledoda420]

As a city Chicago ain't much better than Detroit.

[@jasonjohnston4766]

A lot of people say this but he knew he was signing with a losing team so I don’t understand how people can keep making this excuse for him he chose to sign in Detroit knowing they were gonna be awful

[@bmla88]

Wow, you’re blaming Detroit for Baez not producing. Does Javy still cash the checks?

[@pohorex6834]

@@jasonjohnston4766 well A) when he signed they had a lot of potential with high minors prospects and major league youth that just never produced, and B) an excuse isn’t the same as just understanding what happened. It doesn’t matter why he’s bad, it’s on him. But the reasoning is something that is interesting to find out. Nobody is saying “Baez isn’t actually bad, he’s just in detroit”. Nobody is saying that

[@64north20west]

It's ugly right now for him, but he has room to bounce back. I certainly hope he does get on track.

[@FlyHenryFly]

he goes to a winning squad hes gonna be fije

[@xerxes-thegodking7884]

Being from the Chi....I have watched Baez since he was drafted. Amazing talent and athlete, but he has always perplexed me at the crap he swing at. Steve Wonder would hold off on some of the pitches he swings at. It like he is the Ricky Vaughn on the offense side of the ball. Maybe some glasses would help.

[@tesla3695]

i never thought of baez as a star but as a dude that had a couple good seasons.

[@fredyuen2489]

Hopefuls Javy bounces back, I think he should work on his plate discipline since this seems to be one of his main problems. Maybe he needs to change his game because he can’t play like he used to. I’m sure it happens to a lot of players. He probably should’ve worked on that more during the minor leagues because it helps players continue playing better into their older years.

[@TY9941_]

Has anyone been watching since this video was posted? Javy’s been killing it

[@chadharter9788]

Baez’s baserunning, defense and ability to play 3 positions is a lot more valuable then what you making it. Sure he swings and misses wayyyy too much but he is absolutely amazing

[@zippetz]

He’s a great example of why the eye test is still important. The game is competitive but it should also be fun. Swim move slides, no-look tags, running from a tag at first. He had fun when he played for the cubs, and I had an absolute blast watching him.

[@dancolonna6590]

His fielding since coming to Detroit has not passed the eye test, as well as his overall base running. He seems to be more of a complementary player than a guy to lead a franchise

[@hohf85]

His defense has been awful since he got to Detroit. Sure, he makes some nice plays here and there but he led the team in errors last year

[@ec8107]

Tigers fan. After benching him, the Tigers went on to win 5 in a row. He's awful. Every aspect of his game has deteriorated. He can't even keep track of how many out there are when in base.

[@aaronsutter1155]

@@ec8107 he’s stilled played in the last 5 games though. He’s having statistically one of the best defensive seasons of his career, his walk rate and strikeout rate are better than average this year (both the best of his career), and his base running has been overall good.

[@joemixon834]

The Albert Hainesworth of baseball players.

[@csnide6702]

ouch !

[@stevestolarczyk8972]

My wife's reaction when the Tigers signed him was that they needed to pick up some other good players for him to play with, otherwise he wouldn't have any fun and wouldn't play well. I think there's a lot of truth to that.

[@Reggie-The-Dog]

Javy is on my fantasy team. He has been helpful so far and won at least one game for me.

[@landslide8281]

In the 18 games after this video came, Javy Baez is hitting .309/.373/.485 for a .859 OPS with 3 HR and pretty stellar defense. Not saying he’ll maintain those numbers, but he looks a lot more comfortable up at the plate compared to the beginning of the year.

[@ryanhuisman5381]

Teams **finally** figured out that if you just throw high fastballs and low and away sliders he'll get himself out over and over and over again. The great players adjust to their opponent's adjustments, and he simply cannot do that. As a Cubs fan, I was ecstatic we didn't pay him or Bryant. Schwarber irked me a little, Rizzo hurt a lot.

[@PeterTea]

As a Cubs fan I was torn about resigning Javy. He could be the best player on the field or the worst one on any given day. I think given that inconsistency and him wanting over a hundred million bucks it was definitely prudent to say see ya.

[@kevhead1525]

Baez had such horrible plate discipline early on that it was "magical" he was able to put up decent numbers. I guess he was riding the wave of a fun young cub team. But it is no surprise that he has regressed this bad. Still the same guy but with a bunch of guaranteed riches. Maybe he is playing to be traded.

[@ryanxx24]

No one is going to trade for him if he plays like shit lol. He’s making 23 million no team is trading for him

[@Beardownsports]

Man, Baez gave us some amazing memories. Thanks for the ring, and you're always beloved by Cubs fans. But... Thank you for Pete Crow Armstrong. The Cubs obviously won in every angle of Javy Baez; Got the best of him and got the best end of the trade at the right time.

[@AbruptandOffensive]

Baez bought into his own hype. Plain and simple. He had a couple good years and had a couple plays that went viral and thought he’s the greatest infielder to ever play.

[@louis4952]

i hope baez has a comeback year in 2023 growing up he was my favorite player no one else cared about him but all i could think about what his glove his flashy slides and his swing

[@breguera77]

This is a case of a formal all star that will never reach those heights again. The strike outs and lack of plate discipline are so bad, that it surprises me that he ever gets a pitch to hit. Good players know their good but continue to work on their weaknesses. Bryce Harper was trending down and realized he needed to fix something quick and so he fixed his swing and is now a perennial .300 hitter. I doubt Javy can fix his plate discipline

[@vitalymaliarov696]

Jesus Aguilar was a great example of a random player figuring it out for 1 season. In 2018 he hit .274 with 35 homers, 108 RBIs, with an .890 ops

[@SO-if3yn]

Loved prime Baez. I think we as baseball fans need to appreciate and respect these 2-3 year primes of some of these players. Not all are consistent like Trout. Prime Andrew Jones (HOF worthy) was one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen. Prime Matt Kemp, Prime Ryan Howard, Prime Angel Pagan, Prime Tim Lincecum

[@unkledoda420]

Josh Howard? Did you mean Ryan Howard or Josh Hamilton?

[@OffCourtProductions]

@@unkledoda420 prob josh Hamilton

[@illcommunicvtion]

this is the comment. ppl expect these guys to be super-human.

[@SO-if3yn]

@@unkledoda420 you’re right! Thanks

[@SO-if3yn]

@@unkledoda420 both:( got blazed and didn’t check. Thanks homie

[@clifton4566]

I don't care what level it is, a batting average of .771 is beyond incredible. I mean most players couldn't even do that hitting the ball off a tee.

[@DaLoganFrost]

El Mago, We loved you in Chicago. Hope you can turn it around.

[@evanR09-2]

As a cub fan, I m glad he was with the team in his peak and let him go at the right time. Plus got Pete Crow Armstrong in return

[@yankee1220]

Love your videos, just hope, you go a little bit more in depth as far as your personal opinion of the player specially controversial ones. But yet again awesome job. Subscribed

[@PeterTea]

He’s the only player to steal first base.

[@avrivah1101]

That first slow motion strike out at 8:50 was absolutely brutal to watch.

[@monabiehl6213]

A person shouldn't be referred to as "garbage." Find a better word such as "hasbeen" or "inept player" but "garbage" is not a word for a human being. OK, I've said that. It seems like the Tigers pick up players after they've hit their peaks.

[@davidmorrissey8820]

He's still the GOAT at both avoiding and making tags.

[@thomaspaplawsky2114]

After getting benched hes hitting something like .330 and 2 homeruns.

[@moronsaltable]

Baez striking out that many times has led to very few walks in his career. He's never had more than 30 walks in a season. Even the year with his best batting average of 290 his OBP was 326

[@Everythingguy-bk8xd]

Yeah he’s basically the right handed hitting rougned odor

[@purduebro]

I always felt that Javy was better when the energy is high and the games matter

[@willbill1536]

When I saw most overrated, I thought it was going to be Juan Soto. The projected 400M man just two seasons ago.

[@thelastmanonearth2631]

He was the only guy I was happy to see go from that roster. Rizzo is a legend for life, I wish Bryant would have stayed but I can accept it. But I was happy to see Baez go. He's the epitome of the modern player that I absolutely hate.

[@MichaelMiller-tm2os]

No need to eliminate strikeouts. They are better than double plays.

[@jordanlarson6488]

As a Tigers fan, the size and length of this contract hurts lol

[@oaklandish89]

Javy's issues are apart of a broader issue in baseball: philosophy. Baez is what baseball has become, and represents the new age Mendoza line. Teams are going for raw athletes they hope to tighten up as time goes on, predominantly athletes with power in both hitting and pitching. Skill is less impressive than bat speed or arm speed and that way of thinking has absolutely shredded how baseball SHOULD be played. Power hitting is pretty much a prerequisite at this point and 99% of teams will opt for power over contact, and velocity over control. Scouts nowadays care more about hard hit rate and exit velocities rather than pure bat to ball skills. Those same scouts believe velocity and spin rate are the only way to pitch, as if Greg Maddux didn't exist. Baseball has a mental and skill requirement that just is no longer being met because athleticism is seen as endless possibility when most of the time its simply that, athleticism. Javy Baez is just an athlete, he's not a good baseball player.

[@hectorjconde9518]

agree 100 %

[@tiffinyadcock196]

Baez heart is with Chicago. His deep deep love is with Cubs! His heart isn’t with Detroit. Makes a huge difference playing for a team that you don’t have the deep love for. That’s the issue!

[@P2damian]

The problem was Javier Baez never bounced back after 2020, his glove was always solid, watched him all season 2019 and 2020 as a cubs fan

[@Jason-rc8bn]

Báez, who turns 31 in early December, will make $98 million over the final four seasons of his six-year contract with the Tigers. He is under contract through the 2027 season.

[@jacobrogers1505]

Not a bad video, but imo you need to make more reference to fWAR, wRC+, OPS+ to give a clearer picture of his offensive woes. Also, his defence at SS is still really elite, despite his atrocious 2022 he was worth 2.0 fWAR as a result of this

[@YVBDoogieD]

As a Cubs fan its sad to see what he has become but i wont forget what he did for us

[@Exiledspectre]

I think Javy needs to change his game, he has the talent needed to succeed. Several of the online commentators think Javt's problem is two fold 1) he is not motivated cause the tigers are awful and 2) he is too focused on being "the man" in Detroit. If he didn't swing out of his shoes all time and was a bit more reserved at the plate I think that would go far. BTW remember that play vs the pirate when he basically store a run an then got to 2nd? Javy is electric when he wants to be

[@kiefdemon1979]

Javier is a monster at committing errors.

[@gkdunch]

and striking out don't forget

[@iloveresses7277]

He always had flame out written all over him. His very style of play and hitting was basically designed to decline rapidly. He was never good at contact and pitch selection, but for some reason all the stars aligned and he had some pretty great years. Oh by the way I'm a Cubs fan and Javy might be my favorite player ever. Easily the most entertaining player I've ever rooted for. As true as that is, he was a flawed player and I'm sad to see him fall off so much so quickly.

[@pikijuiyii777]

Puerto Rico is part of America, and no I'm not talking just United States, I'm talking the continent, from Canada to Argentina and the Caribbean Islands are part of it. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States of America. That means P.R. can compete on their own or you can choose to play for U.S.

[@lochnessmonster5149]

Javy Baez still has the fastest hands I've ever seen on a baseball field.

[@Scorpious187]

I think one of the biggest issues for Baez is he doesn't seem to be having fun anymore. The Cubs had a great team and a fun atmosphere, but once he left the Cubs he hasn't seemed to have that same enjoyment for the game.

[@pohorex6834]

Javy was overrated. He is far from that now

[@deadmansgulf911]

Cubs took longer than I wanted to but they did the right thing by breaking that 2016 core. They caught the NL in a down year and got the best possible years out of Hendricks, Rizzo, Bryant, Russell, Contreras and Baez

[@kenosabi]

He got a check and called it good enough.

[@justinllamas1]

biggest example of what happens when u swing at literally everything. he’s an umpire’s best friend. don’t need to worry about borderline pitches … he’ll swing and miss at anything ! that’s what happens when u don’t walk and u swing at everything

[@PlanetPerxGaming]

You got the names wrong as a tigers fan his name is Harvey Baez and the nickname is El Magoo

[@prmachinegunner]

As a Puerto Rican baseball fan this one hurts 🥲

[@roberte8564]

Baez was from Puerto Rico and is considered part of America and is a US Citizen. He didn't come to this country, he was part of the country.

[@Zo3yX]

Around the 2 min mark you saw he came to America. He was already there, Puerto Rico is part of America, it's not a state sure but it's a territory and one that deserves recognition as one.

[@n1ghtt295]

The whole situation in NY with being booed and he cried about it, just showed how much of a cancer he is to a team..

[@SomeJustice19k]

I don't know a single person who thinks Mike Trout is the greatest baseball player of all time...

[@samuelrivera5611]

Agreed, The hype on Trout for putting up numbers on a perennial loser is astonishing. It is like NBA players that score 25 points per game playing for losing teams. Means nothing,

[@braxtonsmith3726]

It hurts to see where Javy is now

[@Bambino_60]

He’s not garbage. And did I hear Mike Trout could be the greatest player of all time? Well since Ken Griffey Jr. , Rickey Henderson and Tony Gwynn existed that will never be true.

[@ronaldwayne7092]

Babe Ruth is the greatest player of all time by so much it isn't even funny. Greatest hitter of all time? He's in the equation...then look at his *pitching* numbers.

[@tommyfu9271]

Trout is better than all of them.

[@davidcolon5641]

I think this all a mental thing for Javy, watching play in the WBC this year, he went off. But you know why? Because he wanted to play. He doesn’t want to play for Detroit. You saw him go off with the Cubs and then do his best with the Mets. Put him on a team that has a real shot to win, and then you’ll see that he actually is good. He just needs a better mentality.

[@r.i.ptardd]

I can see Javy having a comeback. The talent is definitely there and he's shown what he can do. I think it starts with him leaving Detroit. It just doesn't seem like a good fit for him and he's not getting any younger.

[@nateharlow1388]

So, there’s something you need to remember here - The ENTIRE Detroit Tigers team struggled last year, not just Baez. There were numerous problems going on that saw everyone forget how to hit on that team and unfortunately Baez wasn’t immune to it. Everyone sucked on that team last year, they had 5 players including Baez that had 30 plus HR capability and all 5 of them regressed exponentially. Team numbers were absolutely shocking, like they somehow forgot how to hit. Needless to say, Al Avila got fired mid season, and at the end of the year most of the coaches except Hinch and Fetter were also fired. Javier Baez was actually one of the better players on the Tigers last year. Even though the numbers weren’t good, he lead the team in HRs and RBIs for most id the year. So without Baez the Tigers would have sucked even more than they already did. Yeah his numbers weren’t great but neither was anything else on that team. So instead of making a video just focusing on his numbers, you should take the entire situation in context - yes he had a bad year last year, and so did everyone on the Tigers. They’re playing a lot better right now after a rocky start, so we’ll have to see if he improves again with the team. But just keep in mind the whole team struggled last year, including Baez.

[@americanadreaming]

Guy earns his contract about 2% of the time, that's the issue. Thanks for the essay tho.

[@joridraven1733]

i can see Javy getting traded to someone like the Dodgers & turning it around !

[@BradleyDavis-ge5yv]

As a fan of both the Cubs and Tigers it is hard to imagine how far Javy has sunk. He was a really exciting player when he was on Cubs. He was not consistent, but he could be the best player on the field for many games even if he was a bad hitter in many other games. Since joining the Tigers you almost never see the good side of Javy's game. His hitting had degraded a lot, honestly if a pitcher just throws breaking balls off the plate away from him or in the dirt and fastballs high (not close to strike zone) then Javy will swing and strike out. I think pitchers at ML level are not used to pitching to such undisciplined batters and give him too much respect and so throw him strikes occasionally, but there is no reason. If you look at his splits you can see some things that explain how much he struggles. If he hits the initial pitch thrown he is okay, but after the 0-0 pitch his numbers are worse than pitchers used to get in NL before DH. Also if Javy leads off inning his OPS is about .400, again like pitchers hitting. Can he come back, its possible, he still has quick bat and talent, but I sadly do not think he is going to do it, he is very stubborn and not willing to make changes or listen to his hitting coaches. Sad story for him and the Tigers.

[@justinoliveira3063]

I don't know how a player can go so long lacking that much plate discipline. Like, surely a hitting coach has gone over tape with this man. Is the man just having difficulty identifying pitches? This is pure speculation, but he just seems like a player that doesn't take too well to constructive criticism.

[@CarlosRodriguez-bu8jq]

I've seen this guy crush wearing Cubs and PR jerseys, I think he will bounce back, long live "El Mago"

[@MrBobbyz24]

He's on an 8 game hitting streak since being benched.

[@boycravesmeat3511]

Loved him & really rooted hard for him, as he was coming up through the system. Sad to see his demise

[@danielparkhurst2532]

I don’t understand why he doesn’t commit to oppo hitting. I love Baez but he’s an easy out and always has been unless he is committed to hitting to the opposite field.

[@larry-j7i]

Tiger life long fan, so far one of the worst deals Tigers have made, but not willing to totally give up on him . He is starting to come to life in the past few games. I will give him to the end of this season before I ditch on Javier.

[@anonymousanonymity2815]

There is NOTHING that infuriates me more than a player who doesn’t know the strike zone.

[@CHICAGOKID-773]

Báez is a huge fan favorite when he was on the cubs,

[@marukianson5202]

Honestly, as a person who occasionally watch the game from MLB, and watch his stat from last year, he is still on average level, not as bad as he is this year. This however could be a sign that he is starting to burnout pretty soon, as most of the MLB player need to face in their career. Hope Baez can make a comeback.

[@dreeewwww]

not defending him he has to be better, but part of it in my opinion is that he’s playing on a losing team with no expectations, really could change someone’s mindset and competitiveness

[@reidye]

Man was the ‘20 cover athlete and then immediately gave up on playing well

[@mkwsoxfan]

Javy baez is to the cubs what AJ pierzynski is to the whitesox. A guy looked at fondly for being there when they won, but his fame is a couple game changing plays, and a bunch more flukey plays/situations that have him as a cubs fan favorite while the rest of the league is laughing