NEWSLETTER
Nothing top Chicago Cubs prospect Javier Baez does at this point surprises me anymore. When he had his four homer game earlier in the year, that was an amazing, shocking feat. If he did it this week? It would thrill me, but I’d barely blink. He has become that ridiculous on a consistent basis.
OK, I’m exaggerating slightly.
But look at last night: Baez went 4 for 4 with two homers and a sacrifice fly, and it barely registers. It’s an amazing performance, and yet it’s just another day at the office for the 20-year-old shortstop.
After the performance, Baez’s line in the Southern League – where he is one of the youngest players, and he’s playing shortstop – stands at .307/.366/.659. The top OPS among qualifiers is the .903 by almost-23-year-old Marcus Semien. Baez has him beat by more than 100 points(!!!). There are only nine players in the entire league with an OPS above .800(!!!!!! – I’m running out of exclamation points).
On the year, between AA and High-A, Baez is hitting .286/.348/.581 with 33 homers, 33 doubles, 4 triples, and 100 RBI in 119 games. He’s also stolen 19 bases (thrown out just 4 times) for good measure.
