MESA, Ariz. — Javy Baez has a way of holding his teammates accountable without throwing anybody under the bus.
That's because he's always internalizing it, pointing the thumb first and then the finger.
2018 will go down as Baez's true breakout, finishing second in National League MVP voting and almost singlehandedly keeping the Cubs afloat at various times during a trying season.
But he wasn't only successful on the field. Baez is also finding a way to lead the Cubs — both by example and with his words.
After the Cubs were stunned by the Rockies at Wrigley Field for the NL Wild Card-Game last fall, Baez stood at his locker and held court for a half-hour, passionately discussing how the team needed a better sense of urgency from Day 1.