Javy Baez is raising the stakes when it comes to sliding technique.
The Chicago Cubs slugger stole second base during the second inning of his team’s 8-4 win over the White Sox on Saturday. The throw easily beat Baez, but he used a bait-and-switch move to fool Tim Anderson and slide in safely. Check out Baez’s excellent hand movements:
That Javy Baez slide my goodness pic.twitter.com/mWXuoFxICC
— Athlete Vidz (@Athlete_Vidz) May 12, 2018
Baez looked like a magician with the move. We saw another NL player make a similar move on the bases earlier this year, but that was executed to perfection.
Baez, who batted leadoff in the game, also triple and scored two runs. That was his fourth stolen base of the season, and easily the niftiest.
