Chicago Cubs: Who could end up being this years’ David Bote?

Last season, the Chicago Cubs found themselves a diamond in the rough when David Bote suddenly burst onto the scene. He went relatively unheard of, seeing as he was never a top prospect, but he made a huge impact anyway.

In 2018 David Bote seemingly came out of nowhere when the Chicago Cubs needed him most. He very nearly almost retired from baseball but instead, he won the Cubs a number of games in heroic walk-off fashion. I think the Cubs have a couple of guys in their organization who fit that mold and could make a similar impact in 2019.

Due to his performance last season and his strong spring training performance, Bote has solidified a roster spot with the big league club. So is there anyone in the Cubs organization who could takeover Bote’s role last year and surprise a lot of people in 2019?

The Cub who may have the best chance to crack the big league roster out of spring training could be the 27-year-old infielder Christhian Adames. Newly signed utility-man Daniel Descalso has been dealing with a lingering shoulder injury and his status for the start of the season is in question. On top of that, the Cubs will also be without shortstop Addison Russell, who will serve his 40-game suspension to start the season.

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Without Descalso and Russell, the Cubs are down two infielders who would potentially open the door for Adames to make the team out of camp. He is a shortstop by trade who is also more than capable of playing second or third base in a pinch.

In his first stint with the Cubs during spring training, Adames has really impressed with the bat. In his 18 games, he’s posted a .436 batting average on 17 hits. He’s shown a little bit of pop as well, hitting three home runs while driving in 11 RBIs.

The Cubs have some potential in the outfield

One of the most surprising performances during spring training has come from outfielder Johnny Field. Who is Johnny Field, you might ask? Good question. The Cubs only recently acquired Field when they claimed him off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. It was an under the radar move that is a replica of how the Cubs acquired Randy Rosario last winter, who made quite an impact in 2018.

The 27-year-old has shown glimpses throughout his career but is still a raw player. He spent about half of the 2018 season in the big leagues splitting time between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Twins. He hit just .222 at the plate with nine home runs but struck out 72 times in 83 total games.

In spring training Field has gotten off to a good start with the Cubs. He’s hitting .304 at the plate with three long balls and nine runs driven in. While he’s looked good, he’s also struggled at times putting the ball in play, striking out a team-leading 19 times. The Cubs already have a lot of guys who strike out way too much so this does not help his cause, but if he were to make adjustments, he could be a valuable piece.

Mark Zagnuis is a name that you should be more familiar with as he’s been with the Cubs organization since 2014. During that time he’s made two brief appearances with the big league club, playing in a total of 12 games in 2017 and 2018.

This spring the outfielder is performing like he ’s trying to prove he deserves a permanent spot with the Cubs. He’s been showing off with the bat, belting a team-leading four home runs to go along with 12 RBIs. He’s recorded 12 hits on his way to a .343 batting average, so he’s been seeing the ball well.

The problem for Zagunis and Field, unfortunately, is that the Cubs have a crowded outfield. The Cubs already have five guys fighting for playing time, and I wouldn’t see them carrying six outfielders. Unless Zagunis or Field both exploded in the minors and the Cubs had no choice but to call them up, they probably wouldn’t get a chance unless someone got hurt.

Last year’s Kris Bryant injury was devastating, and the Cubs weren’t the same team without him. But Bote stepped in and far-exceeded expectations, helping the Cubs win a handful of games. Of course, you hope the Cubs stay healthy in 2019 and play to their full potential, but if they had another significant injury, I think they are well prepared to handle it. Adames, Field and Zagunis have all been impressive in spring training, and I would feel more than comfortable with any of them stepping into a prominent role with the Cubs.