The Chicago Cubs advanced to the National League Championship Series on the strength of a young, exciting position player who seems to have it all. No, it wasn’t Anthony Rizzo or Kris Bryant. It wasn’t Addison Russell or Jorge Soler, either.*Instead, it was infielder Javier Baez.
Baez absolutely dazzled during the four-game series against the San Francisco Giants. Whether he was making excellent,*diving plays at second, coming up with timely, go-ahead hits, including a clutch eighth-inning home run in Game 1,*or putting himself in perfect position to make a fantastic tag, Baez became*a*human highlight reel*in the series. Even the plays he failed to*make were*impressive.
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It wasn’t just on the field, either. Following his exceptional tag during Tuesday’s game Game 4 clincher, Baez was spotted in the dugout*making yet another tremendous play, this time on a piece of gum that*briefly slipped out of his grasp.
pic.twitter.com/3TWlhGULz6
— Vice President Tim (@TimBaffoe) October 12, 2016
Yeah, everything went right for Baez during this series.
On a team full of young players oozing with talent, Baez stood above them all on the biggest stage. That’s quite the accomplishment for a player who entered the year as*the team’s forgotten man.
It’s easy to forget now, but Baez didn’t have a clear role with the Cubs in April.*With Bryant at third and Russell at short, Baez’s only real shot at regular playing time would have to come at second. Those hopes were dashed the day Theo Epstein inked Ben Zobrist to a four-year, $56 million deal.*Because of that, Baez, a former top-five prospect, would begin the year as a utility player.
No Cub shined brighter than Javier Baez in the NLDS. (AP Images/Marcio Jose Sanchez) At the time, it was the right*move. Baez had plenty of promise, but he also came with one glaring weakness: An appalling 38.5 percent strikeout rate. Whiffs were always a concern for Baez in the minors, but the issue got worse in the majors. Sure, he would dazzle when he made contact, but more often than not his at-bats ended with him flailing wildly at a pitch he had no chance of hitting.
A big part of prospect forecasting relies on projection. It’s not solely based on numbers. All players will struggle at some point during their journey to*the majors. Those who can consistently adjust to stronger competition are the players who develop into superstars.
This season, Baez proved he was capable of adjustments. That 38.5 percent strikeout rate dropped to a much more manageable 24.0 percent. While that figure is still high, it*was a significant step forward. The list of players who have succeeded while striking out in 38 percent of their plate appearances in the majors is non-existent. J.D. Martinez and Nelson Cruz turned in strong*offensive seasons in 2016 with strikeout rates hovering around 24 percent.
Combine those gains with Baez’s ability in the field, and his incredible knack for perfect glove work on tags, and you have*a player whose floor is most gif-able athlete of his era. The type of player capable of*absolutely*blowing*your mind with an amazing highlight multiple times per week.*His ceiling is superstardom.
The NLDS was Javier Baez’s coming out party. (Getty Images/Jonathan Daniel) The Cubs have absolutely taken notice. Following Tuesday’s win, manager Joe Maddon called Baez the MVP of the series.
Maddon picked Baez for MVP of the series. “Absolutely. He should get the Corvette.” #Cubs
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) October 12, 2016
And while you may think it’s strange to point out a player’s ability to constantly be in the right position when making tags, it’s turned into a thing with Baez. His glove always seems to be in the right place when receiving throws at second base. When it’s not, he finds a way to quickly bring his glove to his target, sometimes miraculously making tags when it appears he has no chance at nabbing a runner.
That might seem like the type of thing overeager Cubs’ fans created in order to boost Baez’s value, but that’s not the case. Even his teammates have noticed Baez’s unique skill.

And here’s Jake Arrieta on Baez’s tagging ability: https://t.co/9qNNXCAgcH pic.twitter.com/I4TnYfLi9N
— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) October 12, 2016
That ability sums up Baez perfectly.*Even mundane tasks like tagging out another player can be elevated to must-see highlights when he’s involved. He’s just that exciting.
The NLDS certainly felt like a career-defining moment for Baez. It was his coming out party. The first time he was able to show off his skills in front of a national audience. Performances like that aren’t easily forgotten. They live on forever.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik