Javier Báez has never been known for his plate discipline. Even in good times, El Mago has consistently had a difficult time laying off pitches outside the zone. Those struggles have continued this year and his chase percentage is right in line with his rates over the past few years, including his MVP runner-up 2018 season.
While chasing pitches out of the zone isn’t exactly a desirable trait, it’s not something that’s gotten in the way of his success in the past. So why have Javy’s struggles from 2020 carried through to the early part of this season?