Maybe the biggest indicator of Javier Baez's desire to save his career was his willingness to change defensive positions.
Before this season, Baez remained a high-caliber infielder, with hands so good that he'd earned the nickname El Mago, the magician.
But the Detroit Tigers needed Baez to play centerfield, and so when called upon, that's what he did.
And in the process, Baez may have saved his MLB career.
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How Javier Baez saved his MLB career
When Baez was rising through the Chicago Cubs' system more than a decade ago, he was regarded as one of the top prospects in all of baeball.
And in the early going, he mostly looked like that kind of player.
Baez peaked in 2018 with 40 doubles, nine triples, 34 homers, 111 RBI, 21 steals and a .290 average.
A few seasons later, the Cubs traded Baez to the New York Mets for a half-season.
And after that, Baez signed a huge contract with the Tigers.
It was rough from the start in Detroit.
In 2022, he batted .238 with 17 homers. The next year, it was .222 with nine homers. And last season, it was .186 with six homers.
Baez chased too much and struck out way too much.
Somehow this season, he's turned it around.
In 126 regular season games, Baez hit .257 with 17 doubles, three triples, 12 homers, five steals and 57 RBI.
He struck out at a similar rate to the last few seasons, but in key spots, Baez seemed to do a better job of locking in on the zone and swinging at his pitches. That resulted in an early season walk-off homer and plenty of clutch swings for the Tigers.
Now in the postseason, Baez will try to show all the postseason experience he had with the Cubs and use it to help Detroit win.
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