Cubs' Joe Maddon Believes Javier Baez Will Remind You Of Manny Ramirez -- If He Stops Chasing Breaking Balls

(CBS) Cubs manager Joe Maddon has long been particularly fond of infielder Javier Baez's talents. It was in spring training in 2015 that Maddon advocated for Baez to make the team's Opening Day roster, a hope that didn't come to fruition when the front office decided he needed more seasoning in the minor leagues but one that initially displayed his affection for Baez.

On Tuesday, Maddon again reminded of just how much he believes in Baez as a player, dropping an unprompted Manny Ramirez reference when discussing Baez's potential.

"We make a lot of young mistakes," Maddon said in an interview with Matt Spiegel and Danny Parkins on 670 The Score on Tuesday afternoon. "We're trying to work through that. And in my mind's eye, I'm more of a macro guy with this. I'm micro and macro, obviously, but I mean the macro component, you look at these young guys two years from now, I was talking about Javy yesterday, check him out two years from now when he stops swinging at that slider in the dirt. I keep saying to Jon Jay in the on-deck circle, 'When he stops swinging at that pitch, he's Manny.'"

Manny?

"He's Manny," Maddon responded.

Ramirez is a 12-time All-Star who boasts the eight-best slugging percentage and eight-best OPS in MLB history. The 24-year-old Baez has had some difficult stretches and ugly at-bats because of his penchant for expanding the strike zone, but he's registering his best MLB season, hitting .272 with 18 homers, 54 RBIs and an .810 OPS in 103 games.

Listen's to Maddon's full interview with Spiegel and Parkins below.