If the Chicago Cubs are going to play in October for the fifth consecutive year, they’re going to get there without the magnificent play of last year’s National League MVP runner-up Javier Baez. Understandably, a lot of folks will remember how the season ended for him – in injury. But there was a lot more to it than that.
So went Baez, so went the Cubs. In Chicago wins, the Puerto Rican native slashed .332/.367/.688. But in losses, his OPS plummeted from 1.054 to .576 – leaving a gaping hole in the batting order.