Fansided

5 reasons the Chicago Cubs will still win NL Central

By Joshua Sadlock

DENVER, CO - APRIL 20: Kyle Schwarber
DENVER, CO - APRIL 20: Kyle Schwarber /
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CHICAGO, IL – MAY 08: Javier Baez #9 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates after making a defensive play for the second out against the Miami Marlins during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field on May 8, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Cubs won 4-3. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – MAY 08: Javier Baez #9 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates after making a defensive play for the second out against the Miami Marlins during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field on May 8, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Cubs won 4-3. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /

2. Javy Magic continues all summer long

Kris Bryant has been his normal spectacular self so far this year, but he does not actually lead the Cubs in WAR. That honor would go to second baseman Javier Baez, who currently leads MLB with 33 RBI entering play on Thursday. The 25-year-old infielder is getting the most consistent playing time of his career and is not disappointing.

Baez is hitting .287/.328/.636 on the year with nine doubles, three triples and ten home runs. He has also stolen three bases for good measure while continuing to make all the highlight reel plays that first made so many Cubs fans fall in love. This is finally the player so many watched with great anticipation in the minor leagues.

After he hit .255/.300/.427 for the first four years of his career, most Cubs fans would have happily accepted the fact that Baez’s maximum potential was that of a super-utility player in the Ben Zobrist role, albeit with less plate discipline, more pop and slightly better defense. Even excluding his disastrous rookie season, Baez was just a .273/.315/.453 hitter the last two years, just slightly below league average in terms of OPS+.

If anything, Baez has actually been slightly unlucky so far this season. He is hitting the ball hard at over a 43 percent clip and has an expected WOBA of .405 versus an actual WOBA of .387. The light has just gone on for Baez this year and he is delivering on the massive potential he showed when he hit 37 home runs in the minor leagues at the age of 20.

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