(670 The Score) With one grand swing of the bat, Cubs shortstop Javier Baez put his struggles behind him Wednesday. Or so he hopes.
Baez connected on a grand slam during the Cubs' 16-4 win against the Mets at Wrigley Field. It was a swing that he wants to be a slump buster. Still, the 28-year-old Baez is hitting .203 in 69 plate appearances this season -- the same batting average he posted over 235 plate appearances in 2020 -- and he's striking out at an egregious 44.9% clip.
But Baez also enters action Thursday sitting second in the National League with 16 RBIs, which is good for the Cubs' team lead in that category. His five home runs also put him on a pace to hit more than 30 for the second time in his eight-year career.
Despite the hit-or-miss tendencies, Baez insists he won't let the slump bring him down.
"I don't take my numbers out there," Baez said after the game Tuesday night. "I don't take my frustrations (to games).
"I just care about winning. As long as we win, it doesn't matter how it goes for me."
Baez seemed to be ascending to a place as one of baseball's brightest stars back in 2018 and 2019. He earned All-Star honors in both seasons and was second in National League MVP voting in 2018, finishing just behind Brewers star Christian Yelich.
Since then, Baez has been a shell of that player. He has posted a .203/.241/.385 slash line over 304 plate appearances since the start of the 60-game regular season in 2020 while posting 106 strikeouts with just eight walks.
As Baez's struggles continue, Cubs manager David Ross sees a level-headed player searching for his breakthrough. For now, that means Baez must keep his head high.
"That comes a lot with maturity," Ross said. "And being around the game a little bit more and understanding it's a long season."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
