Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Don’t let it fool you. Javier Baez is by no means ready to take over Starlin Castro‘s job at shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, but a four-homer night is about as rare as is gets.
Baez helped lead the Class-A Daytona Cubs to a 9-6 win over the Fort Myers Miracle Monday. His seven RBI would have been enough to get the job done on his own.
His batting average jumped from .279 to .291 with the monster day. It’s a good sign for the 20-year-old, but he has many things to work on before he starts moving up the ranks.
Baez currently has 11 walks to go with 60 strikeouts. He also had a 5-6 game on June 1. He’s been very hot and cold, which is a sign that if he figures out how to be more effective day in and day out, he can be extremely effective.
Baez’s monster day may have people wondering if he’ll make a run at Castro’s starting job, but it’s far too early to start considering him to be MLB ready. It does show that they may have a solid replacement for Castro. If the Cubs decided a position change were in Castro’s future, which it seemingly is, Baez is the apparent heir to the throne.
The 6-foot, 195-pound Puerto Rican has hit left-handed pitching at an exceptional .341 clip in his third season in the minors. He also seems to hit better in pressure situations, as his RISP average is 36 points higher than his average with the bases empty.
David Fouty is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davefouty, “Like” him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google+.
