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Javier Baez 2020 Outlook: A Solid Value at the Position
5 years agoJavier Baez slightly regressed in 2019 after finishing second in NL MVP voting in 2018. That being said, he still finished with a solid .281/.316/.531 with 29 HR, 85 RBI, 89 R, and 11 SB. He certainly provides value in several categories and also finds himself hitting in the middle of a lineup that finished fifth in the NL in runs scored. His advanced metrics were solid in 2019 as he finished with a 12.7% barrel percent, 91.0 mph exit velocity, and .270 xBA. The latter two were career highs, which means we could easily see the power numbers tick back up in 2020. His strikeout numbers were still high as he ranked 11th in the NL with 156, which equated to a 26.7% K rate. This is not a big issue, however, considering his counting stats did not appear to suffer too much from the strikeouts. He is currently being drafted with an ADP of 33 as the fifth shortstop off the board. He is certainly worth being drafted here and may even have more value than similar players in this range due to him being eligible at multiple positions.
