8. Javier Baez Will Make You Say, “Wow” At Least 40 Times This Year
Ok, this prediction may be a bit hard to track but if last year was any indication of what we’ll see from Javy, I may need to increase that 40 to something higher. He emerged late in the season with both his bat and his glove and turned into one of the most important players during the Cubs postseason run, eventually earning co-NLCS MVPs.
He hit .273 last season and showed great improvement with his patience at the plate. Mind you, he was splitting time most of the first half of the season with Ben Zobrist so you have to take that into consideration when you’re looking at his 2016 numbers.
His dazzling tags, daring base running, and overall swagger on defense has landed him a permanent place in the Cubs lineup for 2017. He’ll remain one of the most versatile players on the Cubs roster so Joe Maddon can plug him into any spot on the field and he’ll continue to dazzle us like only Javy can.
