Javier Baez is a professional baseball player who plays as an infielder for the Chicago Cubs. Born in Puerto Rico, Baez attended high school in Florida (USA). After graduating, he was selected by the Cubs in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft with the ninth overall selection. He made his major league debut in August 2014.
Javier Baez helped the Chicago Cubs clinch the 2016 National Championship and was named co-MVP of the tournament alongside Jon Lester. Internationally, Baez also won silver with the Puerto Rico national team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Javier Baez Bio (Age)
Ednel Javier Báez was born on December 1, 1992, in Puerto Rico. He moved to Florida, USA when he was 13, alongside his mother and siblings. Baez was educated in high school at Arlington Country Day School (ACD) in Jacksonville, Florida.
At ACD, Baez’s talents were on full display, however scouts doubted he could become a star player. He had previously been charged with playing college baseball at the University of Jacksonville before being selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 2011 freshman draft.
Career statistics
In his first season, Javier Baez played in the stopper position for the Arizona Cubs, the Chicago Cubs’ affiliate for the Arizona League at the rookie level. In just 3 games with the Arizona Cubs, Baez recorded 3 hits, including 2 doubles on 12 bases and 2 stolen bases. He then joined the Boise Hawks of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League where he finished the 2011 season. 8 home runs, 28 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and 23 strikeouts in 94 games.
In 2012, Baez made his regular season debut for the Midwest League’s Class A Peoria Chiefs earning promotion to the Daytona Cubs of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League (FSL). He was eventually called up to the Cubs’ major league team in spring training for the 2013 season, finishing spring training with a .298 batting average and 10 RBIs. Báez later returned to the Daytona Cubans at the start of the 2013 season. On June 10, 2013, he became the second player in FSL history to hit 4 home runs in a single game. He was then promoted to the Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League where he concluded the 2013 season. Javier Báez was named the Cubs League Player of the Year and the FSL and Southern League Cubes All-Star.
This dude played the 2014 season with the IowaCubs, however, his performance was marred by a series of injuries. He was finally called up to the Major League on August 5, 2014 and recorded his first career game in his debut against the Colorado Rockies. He played 52 games for the Cubs in 2014, recording a 159 batting average, 9 homers with 5 stolen bases, 95 strikeouts and 20 RBIs.
He joined the Iowa Cubs on March 30, 2015, however, his playing time was reduced following the loss of his sister and injury. He was called up again by the Chicago Cubs in September 2015, where he helped the team advance to the National League Championship Series. Baez also continued his streak in 2016, where he also helped them qualify for the 2016 National League Championship Series. He hit .318 with five RBIs, four doubles and two stolen bases, as the Cubs became the National League champions in 2016 and also won the 2016 World Series championship.
In 2017, Javier Baez averaged .273 runs, 23 home runs, 24 doubles, 75 RBI, 75 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. Along with his thriving MLB career, Baez has also enjoyed success with his home country’s baseball team. He won the silver medal with the Puerto Rico National Team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, finishing the tournament with a .296 batting average, one home run, 5 RBIs and an all-time high of 4 stolen bases.
His family and his sister
Javier Baez was raised alongside his sister Noely and brothers Gadiel and Rolando. Baez and his brothers were introduced to baseball by their father, Ángel Luis Báez. However, their father died when Javier was only 11 years old. In 2005, Baez’s mother moved to the United States with the rest of the family.
The move was in a bid to seek better medical care for Javier’s sister, Noely, who was born with spina bifida. Before moving to the United States, the family traveled there up to four times a year for Noely Baez’s treatments. Sadly, in April 2015, Noely passed away at the age of 21. Javier Baez has since hosted and organized several fundraisers to raise awareness about the disease.
Wife or girlfriend, is he married?
Javier Báez may not be married at the moment, but his days as a bachelor are definitely numbered. In January 2018, Baez and his longtime girlfriend Irmarie Marquez announced that they were expecting their first child. On April 11, the couple revealed via Twitter that they got engaged. They plan to tie the knot in their home country of Puerto Rico in December 2018, a fairy tale ending for the duo who have known each other since elementary school.
Javier Baez’s tattoos
Javier Baez is known to be a big fan of body ink as evidenced by the many tattoos he has on his body. According to the Cubs star, he first got a tattoo when he was 16 and his quest to get more body ink hasn’t stopped ever since. Although they also serve cosmetic purposes, each of the tattoos on Baez’s body is known to represent a very important concept to him.
At the age of 16, Javier Baez alongside his brothers got the Major League Baseball logo tattooed. According to the MLB star, this tattoo represents their shared love for baseball. He also has tattoos of his father’s nickname, his mother’s name, his brothers’ name, his sister’s face and so many more. Javier Baez also has a huge tattoo on his left deltoid dedicated to the Cubs’ 2016 World Playoff title.
Height and body measurements
Javier Baez stands at an impressive height of 6ft (183cm). He maintained his body weight at an average of 86 kg (190 lb). It can be said that Baez has a very positive body image as he is never afraid to go shirtless. When he’s not bragging about his many tattoos, he’s showing off his benevolent abs. In June 2017, the Cubs star revealed all while on the cover of ESPN Magazine’s Body Issue.
