The most infamous name during a summer in Detroit, Javier Baez. I told myself I would stay positive on Baez until at least a couple weeks into the regular season, but starting spring training 0-12 with 6 strikeouts is about as brutal as it gets. It has gotten so bad that I’m just hoping he can stay out of the bottom 20 offensive players in the MLB this season.

That pessimistic view on Baez is exactly why I was excited when a certain video surfaced on X.

He is swinging from the opposite side of the plate! I have personally had conversations with other fans who were disgusted and couldn’t believe he was wasting his time with this. Things along the lines of “He should be dumping all of his time into correcting his swing and not swinging at pitches out of the zone.” and “We didn’t give this guy a 9 figure contract to experiment with being a lefty.”

I, for one, share a much different view.

Baez had a batting average 25 points lower than league average in 2023 and has been an eye sore to watch. He swings at everything and has a particularly difficult time NOT chasing sliders tailing away from him.

The compilations out there are hilarious if you don’t have a vested interest in the Tigers doing anything positive. I myself get to see it enough during the season to voluntarily go out and find one.

This is exactly why I think it’s a great idea for him to start taking at bats from the left side of the plate. Take away that slider that’s tailing out of the zone against right-handed pitchers. Honestly, how can it be any worse than him batting right-handed?

I’m game for him doing anything at this point to correct whatever is going on in there. Let us not forget he has a history, albeit a very small one, as a switch hitter in the MLB. He even hit a double once for the Cubs.

I know he has had videos come out before of him in a cage batting lefty, has done it in multiple real games, and has stated he doesn’t intend to switch, but I’m just asking he try it out for a prolonged period this time. What’s it going to hurt?

By: Goldie (@xGoldie5 on X)

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/ Getty Images