Javier Báez Is Back On Top, And So Are The Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers’ Javier Báez hits a three-run home run agains the Boston Red Sox in the sixth inning ... More during a baseball game, Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) The top player on the best ballclub in MLB also happens to have the highest salary on the roster. That wouldn’t be a surprise if it was Shohei Ohtani on the Los Angeles Dodgers or Aaron Judge on the New York Yankees, but it’s the resurrected Javier Báez on the upstart Detroit Tigers. Detroit is 28-15 and has a two and a half game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central. Their record ties them with the New York Mets for the best in baseball. They finished 86-76 last season, squeaking into the final playoff spot to make their first postseason appearance since 2014. While they’re certainly a team on the rise, few people expected them to jump to the top of the American League standings this season. Báez leads the team with 2.0 WAR (Baseball-Reference version). He’s hitting .319/.357/.513 with five home runs and a 145 OPS+, indicating that his offense has been 45% above the league average. The former Gold Glover at shortstop has also learned a new position, becoming their starting center fielder after having never played the position before as a professional. Prior to this season, Báez’s contract was one of the biggest sunken costs in MLB. He signed a six year, $140 million deal with the Tigers in 2022 that lasts through the 2027 season. He had been one of the best players in baseball from 2018-2021, finishing second in the 2018 National League MVP Award voting when he was a power-hitting infielder with the Chicago Cubs. His Tigers contract turned sour immediately after he signed. In 2022, his home run total dropped to 17 from 31 the previous season, and he only managed a .279 on-base percentage. In 2023, he batted .222/.267/.325 with nine home runs and a 63 OPS+. He wasn’t even a full-time starter in 2024 when he hit .184/.221/.294 over 289 plate appearances, and his season ended in August with hip surgery. With three years and $73 million remaining on his deal, the Tigers appeared content to write him off as a loss heading into 2025. He had to earn his way back into the lineup by learning a new position and making adjustments at the plate. His 86.5% zone-contact rate is a career high and seven points higher than his lifetime average. He’s a notorious free-swinger, but he’s swinging at pitches outside of the strike zone only 38.0%, the lowest mark since his debut season of 2014. Báez has been rejuvenated in the field as well. As a center fielder, he has four Defensive Runs Saved, which is fifth in MLB. He only has 156 innings at the position—he played a handful of games at third base early in the year—and the four players ahead of him on the list have all spent nearly twice as much time in center. Three years ago, the Tigers intended to build a winning lineup with Báez as the centerpiece. When they finally made it to the postseason, he was an afterthought. Now he’s not only back in the mix, he’s leading the way for one of the most exciting ballclubs Detroit has had in years. Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danepstein/2025/05/14/javier-bez-is-back-on-top-and-so-are-the-detroit-tigers/