I agree with you. The love for Javier Baez was probably a little overboard before this season. Yes, he was co-NLCS MVP, as the Chicago Cubs were on their way to winning the 2016 World Series and last year Baez became an every day starter. There was room for improvement then and there still is in 2018.
But you know what? The love has never been higher and it's never been more deserved than now for El Mago, who is rightfully in the National League MVP discussion.
Everyone has seen the highlight reel plays on defense, but this year Baez has taken his offensive game to another level. On Wednesday night, he went 2-for-4, raising his batting average to .302, top-10 in the NL, and Baez also drove in a run.
After setting career highs last year in home runs and RBIs, 23 and 75, respectively, Baez is on his way to slugging way past those numbers. He already has 83 RBIs, which lead the NL, and his 22 home runs also rank in the top-10.
Sure, Baez only has a .335 OBP, yet the slugging (.575) and his base running do more than make up for it.
And then there are plays when he simply makes magic happen right in front of our eyes, casting spells on pitchers, scoring runs even when he's out.
We joked about the MVP chants back in May, when Baez was coming on strong and the talk became more serious as the first half came to an end. It's now August and Baez hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. He ranks fourth in fWAR and bWAR in the NL, hits for power and average, and is one of the best base runners in all of baseball, while playing elite defense too. Hate him or love him, Javier Baez won't be disappearing from the MVP talk this year. The MVP buzz is just beginning for El Mago.
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