VIDEO: MVP Chants Rain Down On Javier Baez In San Diego

Is Javier Baez currently the front-runner in the National League MVP race? No, but the Chicago Cubs second baseman is certainly in the discussion as MLB heads into the All-Star break.

Baez carried the Cubs to their 11-6 win Saturday night over the San Diego Padres, hitting his 19th home run of the season and driving in five runs. Baez now has 71 RBIs, just four shy of his career high that he set in 2017.

He’s only four home runs short of tying his career high of 24, which he also set last season. The MVP hype is no longer a fantasy driven by the most optimistic Cubs fans. The hype is real.

You can’t argue otherwise because at this moment, Javier Baez is a legitimate MVP candidate in the National League and fans in San Diego didn’t miss the chance to let Baez know.

Javy swings out of his shoes on the first pitch he sees in the ninth and fouls it away. He follows that by sending the next pitch over the right-center field wall for a three-run shot. Petco Park chanting "MVP! MVP!"

— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) July 15, 2018

71 RBI before the break.

Is that good? pic.twitter.com/zwtq5UqoyI

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 15, 2018

The incredible part about last night’s game was that Baez almost didn’t even play. Ultimately, Baez decided to give it a go as Albert Almora Jr. was away from the team and he didn’t want to make the Cubs play even more shorthanded.

Javy just told us he almost didn't play today. Had a headache earlier and every time he swung in the cage, his body hurt. But he stayed in the lineup since they were playing short-handed (Almora was tending to a family situation, all is well though) and he did what Javy does…

— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) July 15, 2018

Baez leads the Cubs in almost every single offensive category. From hits to home runs, doubles, triples, RBIs, stolen bases, slugging percentage and OPS, Baez is at the top. His .293 batting average is second to Almora.

In the NL, Baez is tied for seventh in home runs with 19, tied for first with 71 RBIs, tied for sixth with 18 stolen bases, third in triples with six, fifth in doubles with 25, fourth in slugging at .571 and his 3.4 fWAR is fifth among all players in the National League.

Welcome to the MVP race, Javy pic.twitter.com/TVAwxtfkR0

— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) July 15, 2018

An incredible season for Baez so far that has only been matched by two others since the first all-star game back in 1933.

Javier Báez is the 3rd player since the first All-Star Game in 1933 to have at least 19 HR, 71 RBI and 18 SB prior to the break.The other two are César Cedeño in 1974 and Dante Bichette in 1994. (@ESPNStatsInfo)

— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) July 15, 2018

Cubs manager Joe Maddon tried to figure out which one of The Beatles Baez was most like the other day and now he’s running out of ways to describe how great Baez has been.

#Cubs Maddon on Baez: "We're running out of [superlatives]. I like the way he's going about his business. He's playing the game right, playing the game hard, playing the game smartly. He's just playing the game of baseball. I don't think he has an analytical bone in his body."

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) July 15, 2018

Kyle Schwarber may have put it perfectly. All we see as fans is the flash. Baez’s teammates see all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

“People see the flash and people see the style. In here, we see the toughness and the grit. That’s something that he brings to all of us.”

(Kyle Schwarber)

That's what Javy said first, but rest is telling: "I just like to learn from it. Nobody's perfect. I got caught yesterday trying to steal. He had a great move to 1st. Every time I watch video, it doesn't have to be of me, I keep watching people & learn from what they're doing."

— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) July 15, 2018

Javier Baez may have the highest baseball IQ in the game, he’s definitely one of the most exciting players to watch on a daily basis and now El Mago is in the MVP race.

Oh and not to brag or anything, but there may have been a podcast host *cough* me *cough* that brought up MVP talks for Baez at the end of June. 

Oh and that podcast, Pinwheels and Ivy, is giving away a signed Jose Abreu bat.

Pretty easy to enter the giveaway contest. All you have to do is subscribe to Pinwheels and Ivy Podcast on iTunes, give us a five-star rating and leave a review.

And if you listen to this week’s show with special guest Chuck Garfien on and you either send us the “secret word” or leave it in the review you’ll double your chances of winning the autographed bat by Jose Abreu.

Apple users, click here to subscribe.

Android users, click here to subscribe.

I mean, even if you’re not a White Sox fan, an autographed Jose Abreu bat is still pretty cool and hey maybe you could use it as a gift.