Javier Báez making history

Javier Báez has had a remarkable season, rising to superstar status and leading the Chicago Cubs to the top of the National League Central.

On Sunday in Philadelphia, Báez hit a towering 420-foot blast off Cy Young candidate Aaron Nola to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead in the sixth inning. The home run was the 30th of the season for Báez. He also reach 100 runs batted in for the year.

This is the first time in his career that Báez has reached either of those benchmarks, and he’s joined some pretty good company in doing so. Báez won’t be 26 until the first of December.

Here is the list of players in the history of the Chicago Cubs (dating back to 1876) to hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs in a season as young or younger than Báez:

1. Ernie Banks, 1955 – age 24 (44 HR, 117 RBI)
2. Ron Santo, 1964 – age 24 (30, 114)
3. Kris Bryant, 2016 – age 24 (39, 102)
4. Ron Santo, 1965 – age 25 (33, 101)
5. Anthony Rizzo, 2015 – age 25 (31, 101)
6. Javier Báez, 2018 – age 25

Banks and Santo have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Bryant was named the National League MVP in 2016.

But he is alone on one list in Cubs history:

What’s equally interesting is the number of players from Puerto Rico who reached 30 homers and 100 runs batted in before their 26th birthday. Here is that complete list:

1. Ruben Sierra, 1987 – age 21 (30, 109)
2. Juan González, 1992 – age 22 (43, 109)
3. Juan González, 1993 – age 23 (46, 118)
4. Orlando Cepeda, 1961 – age 23 (46, 142)
5. Orlando Cepeda, 1962 – age 24 (35, 114)
6. Danny Tartabull, 1987 – age 24 (34, 101)
7. Javier Báez, 2018 – age 25

That’s it. Báez joins four players who have accounted for five individual seasons in 142 years of the Chicago Cubs. And he joins four players born in Puerto Rico who have accounted for six individual seasons in Major League Baseball history.

It has been a magical season for “El Mago.” Will an MVP award come next?