Javier Báez posted some off-season hitting

19 comments

1. Sexy swing

2. I wonder how much money the lob throwing gig gets?

3. Is he in the best shape of his career?

4. How am I just now noticing he strides with both feet? Don’t think I’ve ever seen that done before…

5. Even I can hit dingers off those pitches!

6. Won’t translate to the season. He’ll be hitting 9th on opening day.

7. Now throw a bender a foot off the plate and see what happens

8. Never taking a pitch as usual

9. Now throw him a slider

10. Can we talk opposing teams to pitch underhand to us?

11. I was about to post a joke about that they should throw something low and outside to see if he swings, and then literally the 2nd pitch

12. Javy can be a great hitter, it just seems sometimes he doesn’t want to be, which is weird. When he first came up with the Cubs, he swung at everything and had no plate discipline. Then Joe Maddon made it a priority for the Cubs in general, and Javy in particular, to take more pitches and force starters into higher pitch counts. And it worked. Seems like Javy has slipped back into old bad habits at the plate, but he’s capable of so much more.

13. If he bats .240-250 than we’re in good shape. I’m very proud of him for making a comeback last year.

14. The problem isn’t when it’s over the plate

15. The secret is whenever he’s up to bat we just got to get whoever that is pitching to him in his practice to pitch to him in the real game.

16. Never having played baseball, do these lobs really help? Shouldn’t some be throwing like 50-75% of game speed?

17. As long as he’s working on laying off sliders we good

18. Javy proved himself an emotional leader for this young team. His defense in both OF and IF was electric. He hit the ball much better. I’m so glad he’s a Tiger though 2027.

19. now throw some down and away on him, see if he swings