![]() ![]() It's taken hold of Yasmani Grandal (hamstring), Eloy Jiménez (hamstring), Yoán Moncada (oblique, hamstring) and recently with Luis Robert returning from "blurry vision" and "lightheadedness." The injury bug is making its way back around the clubhouse after the squad returned its first full lineup of the year last week. The 2020 postseason just showcased the changing of the guard.Cody Bellinger activated, Cubs send Matt Mervis to Iowa Javier Baez had a nice run but there is a new king of swag in Chicago and he goes by the name of Tim Anderson. The defensive gap between the two is closing. Anderson’s defense is rapidly improving and will only get better. That is only three points lower than Baez, who is considered an elite defender. ![]() He finished the 2020 season with only six errors and a. In 2020 he made great strides on the defensive end, showcasing the ability to cover a ton of ground, to complement his strong arm. He finished the 2020 season with eight errors.Īnderson has been criticized in the past for his defense, or lack thereof. He is a wizard with the glove at shortstop and routinely ends up on the nightly highlight reels. Fieldingīaez is also known for his fielding ability. So let’s dive into their 2020 defensive numbers. Offense is only one side of the equation. If you need further proof of who was better than you can point to Tim Anderson’s 4.7 offensive WAR which was 1.3 points better than Baez’s 3.4 offensive WAR. El Mago had more home runs and RBIs but was trailing Anderson in: runs, stolen bases, and OPS. 335/.357/.508 drove in 56 RBI’s, hit 18 home runs and swiped 17 bases.īaez had a slash line of. In 2019 Tim Anderson put the baseball world on notice by bat flipping his way to a batting title. However this is a flukey season, played during a pandemic so let’s compare their numbers over the course of the most recent 162 game season. The Cubs offense has been searching for answers since the start of last season and Baez has not helped them find any. 203 with only eight home runs, 3 stolen bases and finished with an OPS below. On the other side of town Baez was a contributing factor of a lackluster Cubs offense. When he was out with an injury the White Sox could only muster 14 runs in seven games and were 4-for-47 with runners in scoring position. When Tim Anderson goes, the White Sox go. He was in the running to win his second consecutive American League batting title while also being in the thick of the MVP conversation.Īnderson was the spark plug for an elite Sox offense, which ranked first in home runs, and slugging percentage, while also finishing second in the AL in batting average, hits, runs, and RBI’s. He also led the American League in runs scored. 322 with 10 homeruns, five stolen bases and 21 runs driven in. Tim Anderson also blew Baez out offensively during the 2020 regular season. This is a small sample size so let’s compare their numbers over the course of the regular season. Baez went one for eight with three strikeouts in the postseason to go along with an 0 for four with runners in scoring position. Nine hits is also the same amount the entire Cubs roster recorded in their series with the Marlins. Anderson’s nine total hits is a MLB record for a player’s first three career postseason games. His only company is Lou Brock who did so in the 1968 World Series. With that feat he also became just the second player in MLB history with three consecutive three-hit postseason games at any point in their career. He became the first player ever with three hits in each of his first three career postseason games. The 27-year old shortstop recorded three hits in all three of the postseason games he played in. Tim Anderson made a little history in his first taste of postseason action. Javier Baez was nowhere to be found when his team needed him. ![]() Tim Anderson rose to the occasion in the playoffs and in the process showed Chicago who the best shortstop in town was. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |