Why the Chicago Cubs Ian Happ Should model Ben Zobrist

The Chicago Cubs Ian Happ is still trying to find his place on this team. His best bet? Start modeling himself after veteran Ben Zobrist.

The 2019 season is a huge one for several Chicago Cubs. In a season where a lot of our young stars didn’t take as big of a step in their development as we hoped, this upcoming season is crucial for players like Albert Almora, Kyle Schwarber, and Ian Happ to take that next step. In a crowded outfield, Schwarber doesn’t seem to be moving in left, and Almora has shown that he can be the man out in center field.

With Jason Heyward in right, Happ needs to find his fit with this Cubs team. With his switch-hitting abilities and flexibility to play both infield and outfield, Ben Zobrist is the perfect role model for Happ. As we head into the 2019 season, having Happ model Zobrist would be the right move for the Cubs in the present and the future.

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As Zobrist heads into his 14th season at 37 years old, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s got a couple of solid seasons left in him. Watching him bat .305 with an OPS of .817 in 2018 helps that case. If Zobrist has shown the Cubs one thing, it’s that there’s so much value and necessity to have versatility in the field and behind the plate.

While Zobrist is around, the Cubs would be smart to groom a predecessor for the World Series MVP. Happ is the perfect fit for this role. Happ was selected 9th overall in the 2015 draft and has shown the potential of stardom. In two seasons in Chicago, Happ has batted .242 with an OPS of .801.

When Happ was drafted, he talked about his comfortability in both the outfield and at second base. In his first two seasons, we haven’t seen much of Happ in the infield, and that needs to change in 2019. In an infield with so much uncertainty about who will end up being Javier Baez middle infield partner in crime, Happ has the potential and needs an opportunity. Sure, Zobrist will do great things for this infield, but at his age, we’ve seen that he’s most productive when he’s not an everyday player.

I believe Happ has the makings of a Zobrist type player, and having the opportunity to learn from the man himself would be huge. With talks about potentially trading Happ occurring this offseason, having a season where he shows what he means to this team is key. As I said earlier, Schwarber and Almora seem set in their outfield roles, with less flexibility to move around. Happ has an opportunity to take advantage of that and become a staple for this team for years to come.

While Zobrist has a similar player makeup to Happ (switch-hitting second baseman and outfielder), he possesses something that Happ doesn’t. That is the ability to have patience at the plate. In 2018, Zobrist struck out just 60 times, while Happ was 5th in the NL with 167. With Happ under Zobrist’s wing, helping him cut down on these numbers could be another step to Happ’s development and success.

I love the idea of Ian Happ as a utility man, and I think if Happ could enhance his versatility in 2019, it would almost feel like an offseason acquisition to this team. Ian’s got a lot to prove, but with someone like Zobrist to look up to, there’s an opportunity for him to become a special player.