Edwards: Javier Baez’s other secret skill

From Craig Edwards at FanGraphs on September 6, 2018:

It’s been a few years now since we first discovered that Javier Baez has an elite tagging skill. At the time, it wasn’t obvious that a player actually could have an elite tagging skill. Applying a tag seems like a pretty specific, rote act. There’s not a lot of variation. Baez, though, somehow found a way to do it better than everyone. Baez has a way of doing that.

Well, it seems possible Baez has managed to somehow find value where none seemed clearly available — in this case, by causing fielders to self-combust while he runs the bases. It’s a skill that leads to errors and extra bases for Baez and his friends, and it was on display Wednesday night as Baez stood at first base with Anthony Rizzo up to bat. The Cubs’ first baseman hit a single to center field.

Baez scored on the throwing error and Rizzo advanced to second, eventually making it to third thanks to another throwing error.

Read the full article here: https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/javier-baezs-other-secret-skill/



Originally published: September 7, 2018. Last Updated: September 7, 2018.