Joe Maddon on Javier Baez at third base: ‘Javy was spectacular’

12:22 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — The big swing has died down, at least a little bit, and so has the hype surrounding Chicago Cubs super-utility guy and former No. 1 pick Javier Baez. What’s left looks like a really solid baseball player who is emerging as a defensive stud on the best team in baseball. There’s some irony in it, considering he was so well known for his massive cuts coming up through the minors, but now his glove has taken center stage.

“You can’t play much better defense than he did tonight,” manager Joe Maddon said after the Cubs’ 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. “Javy was spectacular.”

Baez showed off his defensive prowess at third base, his third-best position, although if he keeps it up it might become his permanent one. Baez will start there again Wednesday as Kris Bryant continues to see the outfield more and more.

“[I’m] ready to play any position,” Baez said after the game. “Short, third, left, wherever. I take a good read off the bat and just react to it.”

As if the Pirates didn’t have enough to contend with in trying to beat Jake Arrieta on Tuesday, they had to get the ball by Baez, and he wasn’t complying. He made no less than three big-time plays, barehanding a ball and making a perfect throw to first as he charged in from third, then doing the same on a backhand play coming toward home. Finally, he made a play from deep in the corner near the outfield grass and the foul line, snagging a grounder and firing a strike to Anthony Rizzo. Baez explains:

“[The first] barehand? That was pretty tough. I thought it was too tough to barehand, but at the last moment I reacted to it. Jake told me, ‘You’re …

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