Javier Baez continues to rake at AAA Iowa, homering again twice yesterday.
Here’s the second one, which was absolutely crushed:
At this point, it’s fair to say that Baez is pushing for a return to the big leagues. Not only his strikeout rate slipping (in the right direction), but his overall performance at Iowa is starting to shine. After a blistering three-game stretch that has seen him go 7 for his last 13 with 3 homers, a double, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts, Baez is now hitting .322/.404/.540, and his strikeout rate is just 25% as he closes in on 100 plate appearances. That’s all a heck of a good sign, especially when you consider that there have been some mechanical adjustments in his swing and he appears to be closer to the plate. In other words, there are some reasons to buy that this 22-year-old young man (don’t forget his youth) is making legitimate adjustments.
With his starts at shortstop increasing in recent days, Baez is now up to an even split of time between shortstop and second base this year, 11 games apiece.