6 years agoThe jury was out on Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez leading into the 2018 season, as he showed flashes of brilliance in his 23-home run campaign in 2017. He had a .273 batting average, 75 runs scored and 75 stolen bases, and chipped in with 10 stolen bases. Baez profiled as a decent mid-to-late round option leading into last season but finished as one of the front-runners for the NL MVP. Clubbing 34 home runs, stealing 21 bases, and seemingly playing wherever the Cubs needed him, Baez was the straw that stirred the drink for the 2018 Chicago Cubs. More pertinent to the topic at hand, he also scored 101 runs and drove in 111 runs for the Cubbies, putting up triple-digit tallies in each category for the first time in his career. If not for Christian Yelich, Baez would likely be the runaway NL MVP for 2018. While it is easy to bet on the Puerto Rican spark plug, fantasy owners need to remember that he has a career .309 OBP and still had just 29 walks against 167 strikeouts last season. It nice that he had 83 extra-base hits, and his .290 batting average was solid as well, but it is tough to be consistent when you struggle to get on base. He still will be drafted as a top MI (current ADP of 13), but his inability to get on base is a huge red flag and him topping 200 R+RBI once again in 2019 is unlikely.--Chris Zolli