Gary A Vasquez - USA Today Sports
Gary A Vasquez - USA Today Sports

Three Cubs on ESPN's Way-too-early All-Star team


by - Senior Editor -

Spring training hasn't even started and ESPN is projecting players on their way-too-early All-Star team for the 2019 season.

Three Chicago Cubs players made the cut with catcher Willson Contreras, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and standout infielder Javier Baez (starter).

"Baez will start out at shortstop while Addison Russell serves a 40-game suspension for violating MLB's domestic violence policy but could move back to second once Russell returns," ESPN.com said. "We'll slot Baez at shortstop and make him an All-Star, although it will be interesting to see if he can repeat the .290/.326/.554 line that helped place him second in the MVP voting. He's a unique player: It's basically impossible to put up that line with 167 strikeouts and just 29 walks, but Baez makes it work with amazing bat speed. Imagine what he could do with a little better discipline, considering he hit .189 on pitches outside the zone (and swung 44 percent of the time on pitches out of the zone)."

Baez hit a career-best .290 with 34 homers, .881 OPS, and 111 RBIs in his MVP runner-up season in 2018.

For his career, he is a .267 hitter with 81 homers and 269 RBIs.

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