Not much has gone the Detroit Tigers’ way so far in the 2022 season. Among the players who have been called out for the team's sluggish start to the campaign is shortstop Javier Baez.
Much was expected out of Baez when he signed off on a six-year, $140 million deal with the Tigers in the offseason. Still, he has failed to mirror his keen form from during his All-Star seasons with the Chicago Cubs, as he currently boasts a .211 batting average to go along with an OPS+ of 72.
Speaking on Wednesday, Tigers general manager Al Avila touched on several matters regarding the team, including Baez’s performances in the season. Avila well recognizes that Baez is a “better player” than he has shown for Detroit in the first half of the campaign.
“If you talk to Baez, he wouldn't be happy with it either, right?” Avila said. “Obviously, he's a better player than that. His history shows that. I think he's working towards that. He's an impact player.
“You can see, from time to time, what he can do, not only defensively but offensively. He's still trying to put together a better season, for sure, but we got a player that's in the prime of his career that can make an impact, and that's what he's working towards, that kind of consistency.”
From moving him around the lineup to providing him with days off, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has looked to simply find ways to get Baez going on offense. At the least, the two-time All-Star was able to orchestrate promising performances over the month of June, which included logging four home runs and 12 RBI to go along with an OPS of .808 in 22 such games played.
On the other hand, Baez has opened up the month of July on a lowly note, posting a .136 batting average coupled with nine strikeouts recorded in 22 total at-bats so far.
The Tigers boast a 34-47 record and are set for a four-game road series against the Chicago White Sox beginning on Thursday. Detroit is just coming off of completing a much-needed four-game sweep against the Cleveland Guardians, where it scored a combined 28 runs over the contests.
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