Tigers Boss Explains How Resurgent Year for Javier Baez Has Been Possible

The Detroit Tigers have been one of the best stories in baseball through the first half of the season, maintaining the best record in the league for significant portions of the year.

They were the first team to 30, 40 and 50 wins, continuing to look like they might be able to make some real noise when October arrives.

More News: Three Detroit Tigers Remain in Contention to Start in MLB All-Star Game

Though there have been numerous players to raise their personal levels of play in order to have this special campaign come together, the resurgence of one of their seemingly cooked stars has been perhaps the most astounding.

It was few and far between, but when Javier Baez was on the field in 2024, he had a strong argument for worst player in Major League Baseball.

Slashing .184/.221/.294 and accounting for a minus-1.1 bWAR in 80 games, Baez looked like he had come to the end of his career.

Entering 2025 healthy, though, something spectacular has happened, with Baez becoming versatile on defense while excelling at the plate both in the clutch and on an everyday basis.

More News: Tigers Emergency Starter Turns in Shockingly Dominant Performance Against Athletics

Making the switch to center field when the team needed it despite never having played there in his career and looking like a seasoned Gold Glove veteran, Baez truly has been something to behold this season.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch spoke about Baez's comeback, saying the switch to the outfield and overall willingness to do whatever it took to help the team win started during the offseason.