Chicago Cubs: Spring performances leading to increased optimism

Are you another Chicago Cubs fan having a hard time containing your excitement about Cactus League spring baseball? Yeah, me neither.

Spring Training is important, but not also not that important. These games ultimately don’t matter at all. But they give the Chicago Cubs’ regulars some time to find their groove and work out their kinks before the real baseball starts. It also gives the prospects and bench-warmers a chance to prove themselves.

It’s a glorified practice session. Keep in mind, a lot of times they’re going up against a bunch of scrubs. Some of these guys have terrible spring stats and then dominate in the regular season, and vice versa.

Having said that, a successful spring can be a good way to build up some personal momentum ahead of the regular season. Feeling comfortable on the mound or at the plate is more important than stat lines at this point in the year.

So, now that I’ve sufficiently downplayed the significance of good stats during Spring Training, here are four Cubs with good Spring Training stats this year.

Justin Wilson

Remember last season when Justin Wilson forgot how to throw a baseball? That was no good. The team traded highly-touted prospect Jeimer Candelario to the Detroit Tigers to get Wilson and backup catcher Alex Avila. Avila ended up being a lot more helpful than Wilson.

Wilson was having a great season with Detroit, but he completely lost his command once he arrived in Chicago. In 42 games with the Tigers last year, he posted a 2.68 ERA with a 0.942 WHIP in 40 1/3 innings pitched. With the Cubs he could only muster a 5.09 ERA in a paltry 17 2/3 innings pitched. He was so bad that manager Joe Maddon was seemingly forced to just stopped using him.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups

His strikeout rate didn’t change when he went from Detroit to Chicago, but his walk rate ballooned all the way up to a staggering 9.7 BB/9. On average, he was putting two people on base every inning he pitched.

Turning the corner?

Wilson is enjoying a solid spring so far, though. He’s yet to give up a run in any of his three appearances. Most encouraging is the fact that he hasn’t issued a walk, either.

But three scoreless innings in Cactus League play is hardly the biggest reason to be optimistic about Wilson in 2018. Sometimes going from one team to another during the middle of a season is a relatively seamless transition. But for other players, it takes them out of their rhythm. Pitchers, in particular, are notorious for this. They’re a meticulous breed.

That could very well have been the case with Wilson. It might just be a matter of adjusting to a new environment. His first-half success with the Tigers in 2017 wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan scenario. He’s proven himself. He was fantastic for the Pirates in 2013 and a solid performer for the Yankees in 2015. Maybe now that he’s had time to get acquainted with his new baseball home, he’ll look more like his former self.

Tyler Chatwood

The Colorado air is a pitcher’s kryptonite. Your grandma could probably take Clayton Kershaw deep if he pitched in Denver. Fortunately for Tyler Chatwood, he’s found his way out of Colorado and into the Windy City.

A career 4.31 ERA might not seem impressive on its face, but again, take into account this was in Colorado. It’s the worst possible place to be if you’re a pitcher. It’s not at all uncommon for Rockies pitchers to sport better ERAs on the road than at home. To bring up a familiar name, look at Jason Hammel. His numbers improved dramatically when escaped Colorado.

In three spring starts, Chatwood has given up one earned run in six innings of work to go along with three strikeouts. A fine line to be sure, but like Justin Wilson and Kyle Schwarber, his spring performances aren’t the real reason to be optimistic.

Chatwood is entering his age-28 season. That’s one of the reasons the Cubs gave him so much money. He’s entering the prime of his career. And if you’ve watched him, you know he’s got impressive stuff. His curveball, in particular, looks very good. In Chicago, you might notice even more movement. According to FanGraphs, his fastball velocity has been climbing recently. In 2017, he clocked in at 95.3 MPH.

Based on his $38 million contract alone, it’s clear the Cubs’ brass are big believers in this guy. And since they’ve reached the playoffs for three consecutive years while winning more games than any other team in the league during that span, I’d say they know what they’re doing.

Chatwood could very easily end up being one of the best back-end starters in the league this season.

Ian Happ

Ian Happ could break out in a big way this season. While I stick by my previous statement that spring stats are more or less meaningless, it’s definitely not a bad thing to see guys tearing it up. And that’s exactly what Ian Happ has been doing. This spring, he’s 8-21 (.429) with four home runs, two from each side of the plate.

Joe Maddon might not be sold on Ian Happ as the Cubs’ new leadoff hitter, but he’s certainly making a compelling case anyway. Sure, you’d like to see more patience, but being the only switch-hitter besides Ben Zobrist on the team makes him an intriguing option.

Even if his rookie year is his floor, he’s already a solid Major League player. In 2017, he slashed .253/.328/.514 with 24 home runs and 68 RBI in just 115 games. But that shouldn’t be his floor. He is going to get better.

Destined to start?

It’s beginning to look more and more like Happ needs to be a regular player on this team. The situation is complicated, though. He’s versatile defensively, as he’s able to play center field and second base. He’s a better second baseman than he is a center fielder, but Javier Baez and Addison Russell make up one of the best defensive infields in the league. The Cubs likely aren’t going to break that up.

Next: Unsung heroes to decide the 2018 season?

That leaves him in center field. But that position isn’t without competition, either. Albert Almora showed marked improvement at the plate last season. And he’s better defensively than Happ. It’s a complicated problem, but a good problem to have.

Both players might be relegated to platoon roles in the beginning of the season until one of them emerges as the superior option.