Born: Dec. 1, 1992. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 195. Drafted: HS—Jacksonville, 2011 (1st round). Signed by: Tom Clark. Javier Baez Javier Baez (Photo by Mike Janes) Background: Tom Clark coached at Lake City (Fla.) CC for more than 20 years and had a history of recruiting and coaching Puerto Rican players. Clark latched on with the Cubs as an area scout, and his experience came in handy scouting Baez, who was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Florida when he was 12. Baez’s aggressive style had boiled over at times in his amateur career, even prompting a near-brawl at a 2010 showcase in Jupiter, Fla., but Clark got to know Baez and his family. The Cubs were confident enough to draft him ninth overall in 2011, signing him for a $2.625 bonus. After ending 2012 with a broken left thumb, Baez showed no ill effects in 2013, with a torrid finish at Double-A Tennessee pushing him to 37 home runs, tied for second in the minors. He led all minor leaguers with 111 RBIs and 75 extra-base hits. Scouting Report: Baez has special bat speed and produces top-of-the-scale power with an exceptionally aggressive approach and swing. He has tremendous plate coverage and really has no true holes in his swing, which takes a direct and violent path to the ball. Baez has work to do with pitch recognition and can drift at times thanks to his leg kick, but he hits the ball so hard, he doesn’ t have to square it up to hit it out of the park. His patience and pitch recognition improved against better competition, and some scouts see him as an above-average hitter despite his propensity to chase. Baez’s defensive tools suit him for shortstop, while his aggressiveness does not. He has average speed and solid range to go with solid actions and a 70-grade arm, but he needs to slow the game down and consistently make the routine play. He committed 44 errors on the season. His baseball instincts suit him well at the plate and on the basepaths, and his competitiveness has helped him rise to big moments, such as a walk-off homer against Japan’s World Baseball Classic team during a spring-training exhibition game. The Future: Baez hit 41 homers in 2013 between big league spring training and the regular season—plus 10 more in minor league camp—and his power should make Wrigley Field look small sooner than later. With Starlin Castro signed through 2019 but coming off a poor season, Baez presents the Cubs with a fascinating option. If his defense improves with maturity and experience— reasonable, given his tools—he could force Castro to second or third base. More likely, Baez shifts to second or third, causing a logjam with other Cubs prospects such as Kris Bryant and Arismendy Alcantara. Spring training will help decide Baez’s 2014 assignment and position, but he profiles as an all-star-caliber, 30-homer infielder wherever he lands. --

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