Comparing Javier Báez to other Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers Javier Báez Power Comp: J.D. Martinez

We’ll get this out of the way up front: J.D. Martinez is a better pure hitter than Javier Báez. He has a better approach and better pure contact skills, and that has led to more production.

But in terms of raw power, Báez doesn’t have many peers in recent Tigers history. There have been 27 different players to hit a home run at least 480 feet since Statcast began tracking them in 2015. Martinez isn’t one of them, but Báez is.

How about exit velocity? There are 36 players who have hit at least two balls 116 MPH or harder since 2015, and Javier Báez is one of them. J.D. Martinez isn’t. He has only done it once.

Truth be told, this is another category where Jonathan Schoop is probably the best comparison. He and Báez both have three career home runs of 460+ feet, and they’ve both hit two balls at least 116 MPH. Avisaíl García, Nomar Mazara, and Justin Upton also have comparable raw power to Báez, but J.D. Martinez is the one who best exemplifies the sort of power we’re talking about here.

Detroit Tigers Javier Báez Speed Comp: Niko Goodrum

The Detroit Tigers haven’t exactly been known for their speedy, aggressive play over the past decade. Last year Robbie Grossman became just the fifth Tigers player to steal 20 bases in a season since 2010, and the first to do it since 2015.

Niko Goodrum’s run with the Detroit Tigers probably won’t be remembered particularly fondly, if it is remembered at all, but he consistently showed above-average speed, and was a deft baserunner who was a legitimate threat to steal a bag.

That a pretty accurate representation of Javier Báez on the bases, too. Neither he nor Goodrum are game-changing speed merchants like Trea Turner, or, to pluck a name from Tigers history, Quintin Berry, but both provide above-average value with their legs.

Javier Báez has stolen 53 bases on 74 tries since 2018, a decent 71.6 success rate, and according to FanGraphs’ BsR metric, he’s been an above-average runner in every season except 2020. Báez’s sprint speed also took a small dip in 2020, but he’s been an impressive runner for the rest of his career, including in 2021, when he ranked in the 86th percentile.

And, for what it’s worth, Javier Báez is one of the most entertaining base runners in the game. He consistently shows remarkable body control to evade tags when throws beat him, and he also manages to look pretty darn cool while doing it.

Detroit Tigers Javier Báez Defense Comp: José Iglesias

José Iglesias has been responsible for some of the most flashy and spectacular defensive plays in baseball over the last decade, so this might feel like an unfair comparison. And by traditional defensive measurements it might be, with Iglesias owning a career .982 fielding percentage at shortstop compared to Javier Báez’s .965 mark.

But Báez is the one with a Gold Glove on his shelf, and by some advanced defensive metrics he grades out significantly better than Iglesias:

Defensive stats are strange. Báez and Iglesias both pass the eye test thanks to lightning-quick hands and strong gloves. Báez shows more range, which fans probably won’t notice, but also leads all of baseball over the last three seasons with 31 throwing errors at shortstop. Fans will definitely notice that.

Just as with his trips to the plate, Javier Báez promises to be a bit of an adventure in the field. But so far in his career the good has far outweighed the bad, and the Detroit Tigers are banking on that remaining the case for the foreseeable future.