Chicago Cubs: Too early to push the panic button

Hey you – yeah, I’m talking to you – you know who you are.  You’re the one in the Chicago Cubs hat ripping up the Chicago Cubs 2015 schedule and taking out your Chicago Bears gear.  Now before you do anything too hasty, let’s take a minute, relax and take a realistic look at things.

After all, we are only three games into a 162 game season – and it’s not like the Bears have a lot going for them either (sorry Bears fans, but it’s true).

There are reasons to be optimistic. Yes, I know the Cubs are struggling to hit and to get runners in from scoring position.  But it won’t stay that way forever.  This team is too talented and has too much power to continue to struggle.

Anthony Rizzo will start to get his pitches, and he’ll turn on them when he does.  Jorge Soler is struggling some, but he’ll catch on soon enough and Starlin Castro will start to drive the ball in the clutch.

The pitching has been very good – especially the bullpen.  Even with the offensive struggles starting the season, the pitching has kept the team in the game.  They have been doing their job while not being taxed with a lot of extra innings.

The defense hasn’t been that great and that isn’t much of a surprise for some of the positions.  Again, that is something that should change soon.  Castro doesn’t have a lot of room for errors with Addison Russell nipping at his heels for the shortstop job.

And on the subject of change – his name is Kris Bryant.  He’s coming and as his Adidas sign says, it will be “Worth the Wait”.  I don’t think he’ll be the only one coming up early.  

I think if this next week of play continues (I doubt it will), there may be a lot of pressure from the fans, the media, and ownership to bring up Russell along with Bryant. It may be a premature reaction to early struggles, but it wouldn’t shock me to see the two brought up this month.

Bryant alone is enough to make me think that this current scoring drought the Cubs are in is just temporary.  His presence alone will change the culture with the fans and the team.  It’s hard to deny what he did in the Cactus League and there’s no reason to think he won’t continue that tear with his call up.

He will have a trickle-down effect for the Cubs.  Pitchers will have to start throwing better balls to Soler, Castro, and Rizzo or they’ll end up paying for it by leaving runners on for Bryant, who will drive those runners in.

As long as the pitching stays solid and this team continues to work and stays healthy there will be positive results coming.

So don’t push that panic button yet – again, the season is just starting and the one of the Cubs’ best players isn’t on the team yet. The best is yet to come.

Next: Morning Marquee