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Javier Baez Will Make or Break Chicago Cubs’ 2017 Season

By Brandon Hinrichs

Nov 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Baez (9) hits a solo home run against the Cleveland Indians in the 5th inning in game seven of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Baez (9) hits a solo home run against the Cleveland Indians in the 5th inning in game seven of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Javier Baez had a breakthrough performance during the 2016 postseason for the Chicago Cubs. His highlight reel defensive plays, along with his improved clutch hitting helped elevate the Cubs to their first World Series Championship since 1908. Still, there will be even more pressure on him now in 2017 to continue improving his play on offense and defense. How Baez plays will determine whether his team repeats as champs.

The Chicago Cubs are loaded with talent at every position. Their young core players such as Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, and Addison Russell will make sure that the Cubs remain competitive over the long haul. That being said, the Cubs are not taking anything for granted. The orgaization wants to repeat as World Series Champs in 2017. They know that anything can happen in baseball to derail that. This includes sudden injuries and prolonged slumps to key players. This is why Javier Baez’s performance in 2017 will determine whether or not the Cubs have a realistic chance to win consecutive World Series.

Why am I singling out Javier Baez as the player with the most pressure to deliver this upcoming season? Because he is the x-factor on a “loaded with talent” Cubs’ squad. No one to this day mentions Baez under the same breath as Bryant, Schwarber, Russell, and Rizzo.  Baez often flies under the radar, going unnoticed at times. That is until he makes a spectacular acrobatic defensive play at second base. Or hits go-ahead homers during late-inning postseason games to rally his teammates.

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Notice how I mentioned the positive aspects of Baez’s play. Because that’s what the Cubs will be counting on him to do more of this upcoming season. But as we all know with Baez, you take the “good with the bad”. For all the things Baez excells in, there’s also still glaring potholes in his game.

Such as the inconsistent plate discipline. Throughout the first two rounds of the 2016 postseason, Baez was a changed “hitter”. A hitter who for once laid off pitches thrown outside the strike-zone. A hitter who furthermore wasn’t afraid to be patient with two-strikes. Not trying to do too much. This newly discovered mentality payed great dividends in the first two rounds.

When the rest of his highly-regarded teammates were struggling to put the ball in play for much of the post-season, Baez often lifted them up. While his teammates were chasing bad pitches at times, anxious to make something happen, Baez acted quite the opposite. In short: Baez came through often in the clutch for the Cubs when his teammates needed him to do so.

That is…until the Cubs reached the World Series. That’s when Baez reverted back to his usual self. Against Cleveland, gone was the impressive plate discipline that led to obtaining great pitches to hit. Gone too was the calm, cool beyond his years mentality that rallied the Cubs throughout their darkest moments. It was as if Baez finally caved into the pressures that mount onto a team that hasn’t won in over a century. Even his stellar defense became sloppy during the World Series.

While the Cubs ultimately battled back from a 3-1 deficit to win Game 7, all eyes will be on Baez this time around. The team needs him now more than ever to continue to grow as a player. Dexter Fowler‘s departure this off-season leaves a huge void in the Cubs’ lineup. And no one knows how well Jason Heyward will perform given that he’s now a reclamation project.

Baez will be counted on more than ever to improve his offensive play to make up for the loss of Fowler. He’ll most likely be an every-day lineup player, given the fact that he can play both infield and outfield positions. His defense is just too valuable to leave sitting on the bench for an entire game. That’s how Heyward after all makes his living.

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Still, what the Cubs don’t know is what type of player they’ll be getting in Baez this upcoming season? Will he revert back to the sloppy, undisciplined Baez we saw in the World Series? Or will he be the player we saw carry the Cubs on his back past the Giants in the first round of the playoffs?

If Baez improves his inconsistent play, the Cubs will be is very good shape to repeat as champs. The organization will be pleased to see Baez get on base often, thus displaying his agressive baserunning style, potentially leading to more runs scored. Baez in my opinion has more offensive potential than fellow counterpart Addison Russell, and might even be a more skilled defender.

Still…for Baez, everythings comes down to whether or not he can put everything together. Often times, he’ll try too hard to make things happen. He presses a lot due to being overly anxious, especially when it comes to hitting with runners on base. Sometimes, Baez will try to make the impossible appear possible while playing defense. He’ll try to make routine plays appear flashy, thus leading to some pivotal unforced errors.

This is who Baez is though. A player unafraid to steal for home while dancing around casually on third base. His nifty baserunning tags and slides are a sight to behold as well. Baez plays the game with just as much passion as fun. He plays his heart out every time out. There’s never a dull moment in watching Baez play baseball for the Cubs.

If Baez’s habitual tendencies get the best of him in 2017, his performance might take a step back, not forward. He must continue to mature and improve upon what made him successful in the early rounds of this past postseason. Not trying to do too much at the plate in particular. I’m not too concerned about his defense, which most of the time is otherworldly. If Baez can just take what if given to him from pitchers, the sky’s the limit for him and the Cubs’ offense.

Related Story: Jake Arrieta's future with the Chicago Cubs

As we found out for much of the 2016 postseason: As Baez goes, so too does the rest of his team’s offense. The same will likely apply in 2017.

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