Javy Baez pulled a Vlad Guerrero on Monday.
Baez’s Detroit Tigers split a doubleheader with Cleveland. Cleveland took the first game 4-1. In the 9th, Baez was facing Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase and had a 0-2 count. Probably on edge while having two strikes on him, Baez decided to swing at a slider that bounced in the dirt in front of home plate.
Baez actually sent the pitch to center field, where Myles Straw caught it for the out.
Javy Báez flew out to CF on a slider that hit the dirt 😭 pic.twitter.com/jaIPkELrAL
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 15, 2022
That ball went much further than one would have expected.
Baez is batting .227 this season, so it’s not too surprising he chased a pitch that bounced. Guerrero was quite different though.
Vlad was known as a bad-ball hitter. He was a career .318 hitter though and made the Hall of Fame. Baez needs a lot of work on his bad-ball hitting to achieve Vlad status.
