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Javier Báez was benched by his manager A.J Hinch on April 13. He was pulled from the game against the Toronto Blue Jays when he forgot how many outs there were. He made a blunder not tagging up on a lineout from Akil Badoo.
Since being benched, Báez has been going off at the plate. He leads all Detroit Tigers hitters in batting average, OBP, SLG, OPS, hits, doubles, home runs, runs, RBIs, and total bases.
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This week, Báez was huge in their three-game sweep over the New York Mets. He hit two home runs in the series, one off of reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.
When Báez is on a hot streak, there's nearly no stopping him. It will be interesting to see if he continues this type of performance at the plate all season long. If he can, the Tigers could surprise some teams in the American League Central.
"When Javy is on one there is no better hitter in baseball" - one fan tweeted.
"Wake up calls sometimes work!"
With Javier Báez going nuclear at the plate since his benching, Detroit Tigers fans are wondering who else they can bench.
It will be interesting to see if Báez can remain hot with the bat if the Tigers have any chance this season.
Can Javier Báez and Detroit Tigers compete for a division title?
Javier Báez and the Detroit Tigers sit second in the AL Central heading into Saturday. They are just four games behind the Minnesota Twins, who lead the division.
Not much was expected of the Tigers heading into the season. But they could make some noise with how some other teams in the division have looked. The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians haven't looked all that inspiring this season.
The Tigers have a great opportunity to put space between them and the Guardians. They start a three-game series with them on Monday in Cleveland. Both teams are tied with 14 wins apiece heading into Saturday.
The Tigers could make a run in the division, if players like Báez continue their impressive performance at the plate. They'll also need the rest of the division to keep playing under expectations.
Don't be surprised if Detroit is still hanging around in September.
