On the field, Javier Báez doesn’t think twice. He processes the game at hyperspeed, taking huge swings that might knock him off his feet and using his instincts to do the swim moves and the no-look tags that can never be taught. The “El Mago” nickname conjures up all of his mystical powers for the Cubs.



Off the field, Báez can be so quiet and guarded that you probably didn’t even know that his brother-in-law is an All-Star pitcher, the Minnesota Twins’ Opening Day starter and also one of the brightest young talents in the game.



That would be José Berríos, who’s trying to make the same kind of leap that Báez did last season, when he finished second in the National League MVP voting and became a leader by example within the Wrigley Field clubhouse.



A first-time All-Star in 2018, Berríos has just begun to tap into his massive potential after a slow start to his career that...