For the first time, Detroit Tigers' Javier Báez is trying to completely revamp his attack

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Javier Báez holds himself accountable.

He knows he is getting beat by fastballs, sliders and everything in between.

"I got to play better," he said.

Báez took ownership of his season-long struggles in front of his locker in the visitor's clubhouse before Monday's game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. The hood of his sweatshirt covered most of his head, but he didn't hide his face. He looked and sounded frustrated, but he answered every question thrown his way. The former two-time All-Star, a World Series champion, pointed his finger at the man in the mirror. No excuses.

"I'm trying to stay positive," said Báez, making $22 million in the second season of his six-year, $140 million contract. "I'm trying to bounce back."

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Báez, who knew his bat wouldn't help the Detroit Tigers, more or less removed himself from Monday's starting lineup against the Royals.

Manager A.J. Hinch told Báez over the weekend that he wouldn't start in Thursday's series finale, and when Báez heard about the plan, he told Hinch that he was struggling to recognize pitches. After Sunday's game, Hinch told Báez to sit out Monday in exchange for playing Tuesday through Thursday.

Báez didn't have any complaints about the revised plan because he felt like he needed to "clear my mind and restart with the approach." He went through his full pregame routine alongside his teammates, spent extra time in the batting cage and watched the game from the dugout, seated next to Miguel Cabrera.

"I think he's a realist," Hinch said. "He's never denied the things that he's done well and the things he's struggled with. He's very open about it. I'm glad he's been with you guys. He's open with the coaches all the time about it. The adjustments that are going to be needed, obviously, we want to get a jumpstart on it right now."

Without Báez, the Tigers do not have a complete offense. Without Báez, the Tigers' odds of winning the American League Central decrease significantly. The Tigers are better without the bad version of Báez, but the best version of Báez is capable of carrying the offense.

Two years ago, Báez launched 31 home runs with an .494 slugging percentage in 502 at-bats for the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets. Since joining the Tigers, Báez has 23 home runs with a .365 slugging percentage in 901 at-bats.

"I think the majority of it is trying to cover every bit of the strike zone and areas around the strike zone at the same time," Hinch said. "Once we can get his mentality to shift, to stick with his plan, it can click for him. When he gets hot, he gets white-hot. That's obviously something we're looking for."

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The 30-year-old, whose defense at shortstop ranks in the 99th percentile for outs above average this season, is hitting .220 with six home runs, 13 walks and 84 strikeouts in 88 games, posting a career-worst .321 slugging percentage. His 57 wRC+ ranks second-to-last — ahead of only Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson — among 150 qualified position players.

On Monday, he diagnosed his problem.

"Sometimes, I try to cover everything," Báez said. "I try to cover three pitches instead of getting ready for the fastball and reacting to the other two pitches. I have the ability to hit balls out of the zone. Sometimes, I'm looking for balls out of the zone because of the way they're pitching me, and it's only making it worse.

"Sometimes, it works for me, but I just got to be disciplined and make them throw strikes. Sometimes, my energy and the way that I want to be here for the team, I'm missing everything at the same time. I need to slow the game down, make them throw strikes and make them throw the fastball for a strike."

The problem: Báez is hitting .192 with a 27.9% whiff rate on four-seam fastballs inside the strike zone. As for all four-seamers — in and out of the zone — he is hitting .169 with one home run and a 34.4% whiff rate.

Almost every in-zone four-seamer he has hit in the air has traveled to right field, meaning his swing is late. The root of the issue remains his approach, as it has been for his entire career, but his timing against fastballs — a product of his swing mechanics — isn't the same as when he was in his mid-20s.

"I think I break too fast," Báez said, referencing the load of his swing. "I have really powerful legs, and I'm not controlling them. I'm turning too much and disappear when they release the ball."

As for Báez's approach, he has always hacked at too many pitches outside of the strike zone.

Over his first eight seasons (2014-21), his 44.1% swing rate on pitches outside of the zone was the fourth-highest among 443 qualified hitters. His 48.6% swing rate on those pitches over his two seasons (2022-23) with the Tigers is the highest among 124 qualified hitters.

The biggest difference is Báez, who turned 30 last December, lacks the same power punch of earlier in his career. His average exit velocity hovered around 90 mph with elite barrel rates in his mid-20s, but this season, his average exit velocity is 87.7 mph, and his barrel rate is 3.4% — both career-worsts.

These days, he talks about plate discipline more often than he talks about swinging hard.

If he can't recapture the past success of his violent swing, he will need to redefine his approach — stop swinging at pitches outside the strike zone to get more pitches in areas where he can still create damage — for the first time in the big leagues.

That seems to be the main challenge for Báez and the Tigers.

"There's a zone, and if I don't control the zone, they don't have to throw the pitch there," Báez said. "I don't want to disrespect anybody, but I'm a fastball hitter, and it doesn't matter who it is (pitching), you can throw 105 mph, 110 mph, it doesn't matter, but if you throw it in the zone, we're going to get there. But if they throw it out of the zone, and we keep swinging at it, they're going to keep throwing it out of the zone. I got to make the adjustment."

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Javier Báez revamping attack for plate discipline