“Even if he struggles at the plate, Javy Báez is a plus for this team because of his glove,” the former Tiger and current Bally Sports Detroit analyst said.
Monroe should know better, but even if he doesn’t know better, fans watching do. Báez can’t possibly atone for his offensive deficiencies with his glove, and he certainly isn’t coming anywhere close. As of Sunday night, Báez is a minus-player according to Wins Above Replacement, which means the Tigers would be better off if they benched him and used someone they have at Triple-A.
How bad has Javier Báez been?
Even by non-analytical methods, Báez has been a dud since he put on a Tiger uniform starting with the 2022 season. This year, Javy is hitting .210 with one home run. Those are putrid numbers. They were putrid last season too. In the last two seasons, among the 148 players with at least 600 plate appearances, Báez ranks 147th in OPS+ (on-base plus slugging adjusted).
The statistic is one of the best ways to reveal how effective a hitter has been compared to his league and at his position. Yet, Javy is not just below average, he’s wayyyyy down at the bottom, with an OPS+ of 59, meaning he’s about 40% below league average.
It’s frustrating enough that Báez is almost an automatic out at the plate, but he’s also the highest-paid Tiger. This season, Báez is making $25 million to be practically the worst hitter in baseball. The Ilitch family owes Báez nearly $100 million on his hefty contract.
Detroit Tigers’ Javier Baez looks at his hand after being hit by a pitch against the New York Mets in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Thursday, May 4, 2023, in Detroit.AP
Báez doesn’t endear himself to Tiger Nation at all either. Last season, when he struggled at the plate (eventually his numbers rested at .222 with a .267 on-base percentage and .325 slugging), he made a gesture to Detroit fans at Comerica Park after he hit his first home run. Báez has always been a hot dog, but the mustard has tasted sour since he’s been in the Motor City. No one wants to see a ballplayer strutting when his successes are few and far between.
Here’s one for you: in the 124-year history of the Tigers, only 12 players who appeared in at least 300 games for the franchise have had a lower on-base percentage than Javier Báez. Ten of them are pitchers. A pitcher named Hooks Dauss, who holds the franchise mark with 223 wins, had a better on-base percentage than Báez. That means, Báez gets on base less often (far less, as his .269 OBP compares to the .284 of Dauss) than a starting pitcher who won more than 200 games in the Old English D.
Detroit Tigers’ Javier Baez (28) stands in the dugout during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Chicago.AP
The six-year $140 million free agent contract the Tigers gifted to Báez will certainly go down as the worst money the team has ever spent. The infielder flails and misses and looks foolish every time an opposing pitcher throws a slider. He’s late on most fastballs. He’s also uninterested in growing as a player. He’ll dig into his pockets for sunflower seeds, but there’s no digging to find ways to improve.
