Tagging legend Javier Baez will grace the cover of ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue

Javier Báez may well be the first Major League Baseball player to build a reputation on an ability to apply a good tag. On Tuesday the world found out that ESPN The Magazine has turned the table by tagging Baez for a cover spot of its 2017 Body Issue armed with little more than his bat.

Curse-breaker. World Series champion. Cover star.@Cubs second baseman @javy23baez kicks off ESPN the Magazine's 2017 Body Issue. pic.twitter.com/m9y8vRRjZp

— ESPN (@espn) June 20, 2017

Baez follows in the tradition of Prince Fielder and teammate Jake Arrieta as MLB athletes to grace the cover of the Body Issue.
In an interview accompanying the photo shoot, Baez reflected on the occasionally bumpy path he took toward becoming a World Series champion.
Since I was a kid, I've always liked tattoos. And all of mine have a story, they all mean something. Almost everything makes sense when you see my tattoos.
He shared that his tattoos have served as motivation -- in the case of the MLB logo on the back of his neck that kept him focused on his dream of being a Major Leaguer -- as well as tributes to important people and places in his life.
In more lighthearted banter, Baez discussed his tagging skills and boasted that he "can turn a play which was a 'sure' safe call into an out."
The Body Issue launches online July 5. Until then, Baez can be seen -- fully clothed -- on the field with the Cubs.