Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez didn't expect to make it through the 2025 season.
There were ups and downs along the way, but he stayed healthy in return from right hip surgery and produced one of his best all-around seasons since joining the Tigers. The 32-year-old hit .257 with 12 home runs and a .680 OPS across 126 games, reestablishing himself as the Tigers' starting shortstop with two seasons remaining on his contract.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Honestly, I didn't think I was going to make it this year," Báez said Oct. 10, after the Tigers were eliminated from the ALDS in the postseason. "I'm surprised that I stayed healthy the whole year. I had a pretty good year, but it can be better."
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Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez (28) looks up at the jumbotron as he sits in the dugout during the Chicago Cubs game at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, June 7, 2025.The 12-year MLB veteran didn't win 2025 American League Comeback Player of the Year (that was secured by Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom), but if the Tigers had their own version of the award, Báez would've been crowned.
Not only did Báez contribute in the regular season, but he also set the tone for the Tigers in the postseason.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHis knack for thriving in big moments was on full display – from diving plays at shortstop to timely hits punched into right field. He loves the pull-side home run, but in October, he didn't try to do too much, taking singles when the situation called for it.
"He rises to the moment," manager A.J. Hinch said of Báez, a 2016 World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs. "Every time I go out on the mound to change a pitcher, Javy is always there with some sort of calmness, even more so in the postseason than in the regular season. I really appreciate that. He's been there. He's done it. It matters a lot to him."
Second baseman Gleyber Torres – an eight-time MLB veteran who completed his first season with the Tigers in 2025 – tipped his cap to Báez's presence on and off the field.
They became friends in 2025.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"The second half for him was not the best half, but he showed what he was capable of doing for the team, especially in the wild-card series," said Torres, who cultivated a relationship with Báez during spring training. "He set the baton for us. He's a guy who has played in the World Series before. He knows how to win. He's got a ton of experience. He is one of our leaders."
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In December 2021, Báez signed a six-year, $140 million contract with the Tigers. He got worse in each of his first three seasons – with a .671 OPS in 2022, .593 in 2023 and .516 in 2024 – as he went from everyday shortstop to a platoon player limited to matchups against left-handed pitchers.
Báez bounced back in 2025, posting a .680 OPS and reclaiming his role as the everyday shortstop in his first season after hip surgery
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I didn't feel any soreness in my body, but I felt tired from the surgery," said Báez, who had the procedure in September 2024. "When you get done working out, that's how my legs felt a lot of the times, but we kept working and doing our routines in the training room with the plan we had for my surgery. It was hard to feel better, but I got through the season – and I had a pretty good year."
The highlight of Báez's 2025 season?
He made the All-Star Game for the third time in his career – but for the first time in center field, elected by the fans and joining Pete Rose, Harmon Killebrew and Albert Pujols as the only players in MLB history to start the All-Star Game at three different positions. His trio: second base in 2018, shortstop in 2019 and center in 2025.
Báez spent 405 innings in center, saving the Tigers after injuries to their top three center fielders. He also logged 427⅔ innings at shortstop, 147⅓ innings at third base and 42⅓ innings at second.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBefore 2025, Báez hadn't played center field since Little League.
"What he did in the regular season was really special," said Torres, a fellow starter in the All-Star Game. "He made the All-Star Game in the outfield. It was huge for him and for us. He did really good things for us during the year."
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Báez experienced positives and negatives throughout his comeback 2025 season, from the high of two home runs against the Boston Red Sox in an epic May 13 performance to the low of starting just 12 of 26 games from Aug. 25–Sept. 24.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhen it mattered most, Báez emerged as the top contributor for the Tigers. He started at shortstop in all eight games during the postseason, hitting .313 with one walk and three strikeouts in 33 plate appearances.
The Tigers fell short in the winner-take-all Game 5 of the ALDS.
"Not happy about it, not comfortable," said Báez, a postseason competitor in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2025. "Everybody hates losing. I think we played really good baseball, especially in the postseason. We played really good baseball, but we just got beat by the other team."
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Entering 2026, Báez – who turns 33 in early December – has two years and $48 million remaining on his six-year, $140 million contract with the Tigers.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere's a chance he settles into the role of an everyday utility player as a right-handed hitter, splitting time at two of the most important positions: shortstop against right-handed pitchers and center field against left-handed pitchers.
It would mark the next chapter in his career revival.
"It's very rewarding to watch him play with some joy," Hinch said. "He's had to endure a lot. Our best team has him doing some pretty impactful things. I know the work that goes into it, and I know how much it matters, and that makes it even more rewarding."
"It means a lot to me," Báez said.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: SS Javier Báez reflects on 2025 comeback season with Detroit Tigers
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