Chicago Cubs need Ben Zobrist in the starting lineup to open 2018 season

Despite a down year in 2017, veteran utilityman Ben Zobrist needs to be in the starting lineup for the Chicago Cubs – at least to start the upcoming season.

After winning World Series MVP honors as the Chicago Cubs defied history, Ben Zobrist cemented his place in baseball history. Entering the 2017 campaign, expectations were higher than ever for both the team and pretty much every player on the roster – Zobrist included.

And, by and large, everyone not named Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant or Wade Davis underperformed. There are more than a handful of people who would jump all over me for saying Bryant had a solid season – if this is you, I’m sure I’ll see you in the comments.

Among those who struggled, you find Zobrist. The Illinois native and two-time World Series champion looked lost at the plate. He battled nagging injuries. In a way, he perfectly encapsulated the Cubs’ season. He was physically there – but just never played up to par for the course.

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The switch-hitter slashed .232/.318/.375 in 128 games for the Cubs. That .232 clip is the worst full-season average Zobrist has ever put up in Major League Baseball. Given he’s heading into his age-37 season, a lot of people are ready to move on from Zo. At times, I’ve been of this thinking, as well.

But hear me out. This team needs Ben Zobrist’s bat in the lineup on a regular basis. For more than one reason.

Solving the leadoff problem

Apparently, Chicago has a leadoff problem. And it’s not just Kyle Schwarber.

Cubs leadoff hitters managed just a .246 average last season – to go along with a .324 OBP. Of course, the Schwarber leadoff experiment failed in every sense. That failure has Cubs fans clamoring to throw money at the likes of Lorenzo Cain which, in my mind, would be a huge mistake.

Why would we pay a guy heading into his mid-30s to lead off and play center field when Albert Almora put together one of the best seasons to-date last year? Granted, he definitely needs to draw more walks. That’s not a debatable fact. But he has the makings of an above-average outfielder and contributor.

But, given his current inability to draw walks, he’s not ready to lead off. Instead, it’s up to Ben Zobrist. As poor as he performed last year, he put up a .768 OPS out of the leadoff spot. That less than 20 points off his career OPS (.783). And, to be blunt, outside of Rizzo, I don’t trust anyone else in the lineup to work counts and see pitches.

There’s a lot more to leading off than just getting on. Sometimes, you need to see multiple pitches to help the guys behind you see what a pitcher’s bringing. If your 8-9 guys go down quickly, it’s on you to make sure you don’t hack at the first pitch and keeping your pitcher from getting a blow before heading back to the mound.

Again, Zobrist is the only guy who has consistently demonstrated the ability to do this.

Veteran mentality

Losing is unacceptable to guys like Zobrist and fellow veteran Jon Lester. I’ll admit. This isn’t a typical ‘young’ lineup. None of the team’s projected starters are above 30 years of age and have a tremendous amount of experience under their belt already.

Zobrist has ‘been there, done that,’ if you will. He’s won a pair of World Series titles. The passionate, yet controlled vet knows what needs to be done at the dish – he owns a career .355 on-base percentage.

Next: Has anyone done enough to catch the Cubs?

If Almora isn’t your guy and you know that, I don’t know where else you turn atop the order. I understand wanting to keep Javier Baez in the lineup for his offense, but his free-swinging tendencies are still a concern – despite another .270 average season in 2017.

To avoid getting off on the wrong foot again this year, let’s go with what we know. I trust Zo to handle his business and come into 2018 ready to roll. Let’s give him a chance atop the order. After all, he’s a true table-setter. Can anyone else in this lineup say the same?