Welcome back to the 2015 Last Word on Fantasy Baseball Guide. Over the next several months we will be releasing player profiles, projections, position rankings, and a number of other articles that will help you dominate your fantasy league this season. Whether you play rotisserie or head-to-head; whether you have a standard draft, a snake or an auction league, and whether its keeper league or a one-year deal; we have all the fantasy information you need.
For the rest of our fantasy baseball profiles and articles, please check out our Fantasy Baseball Guide Page
FANTASY PROFILE: JAVIER BAEZ, 2B, CHICAGO CUBS
LWOS Ranking 15, Captain’s Value: $4.80
Javier Baez is one gifted young man but as talented as he is, his skills are still very raw. Baez strikes out a lot. After his promotion to the big leagues, Baez posted a horrendous 41.5% K rate in 229 plate appearances. His patience was below average as he posted a 6.6% BB rate. Overall, he had a 0.16 BB/K ratio (walking 15 times and striking out a staggering 95 times in 52 games). The high K% correlates with his inability to make contact (59% contact rate) and swinging strike percentage (19.1%), both of which were way below league average. As such his batting average suffered heavily and unless he improves his plate approach, his average will be a burden on your team. Now this is a SSS (small sample size) but his poor plate discipline can be traced back through the minors as well.
There is some good news though. First off, Baez will have both 2B and SS eligibility in most leagues offering value in versatility. Secondly, Baez swatted 9 homers in his short season of play producing a 1:25 HR/PA ratio. Scouts have consistently graded his potential power at 75 (using the 20-80 scale scouts use), which would translate to roughly 35+ home runs. His bat speed is also praised going as far as calling it “elite”. Not really known for his foot speed, he still managed to steal 5 bases in 2014, showcasing an ability to reach double digit steals in a full season given the opportunity. Take caution in drafting this young man as one scout has said he has the potential to be a league leader, not only in homers, but in strikeouts as well.
| Year | Team | Pos | G | PA | AB | R | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | SLG | OBP | OPS |
| 2014 | CHC | SS | 52 | 229 | 213 | 25 | 9 | 20 | 5 | 15 | 95 | 0.169 | 0.324 | 0.227 | 0.551 |
| 2015 Projection | CHC | 2B | 595 | 545 | 69 | 24 | 71 | 12 | 42 | 179 | 0.233 | 0.287 | 0.406 | 0.693 |
For the rest of our fantasy baseball profiles and articles, please check out our Fantasy Baseball Guide Page.
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**All stats courtesy of Fangraphs
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 05: Javier Baez #9 of the Chicago Cubs takes his first Major League at bat against Brett Anderson #30 of the Colorado Rockies in the first inning at Coors Field on August 5, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
