Chicago Cubs: The unusual suspects leading the way

Chicago Cubs: David Descalso

When the Cubs signed Daniel Descalso, there wasn’t a lot of fanfare about the signing. Nor should there have been. Descalso is a career .240 hitter, plays several positions, but is considered more of a ‘bench guy.’ The Cubs needed to replace Tommy La Stella, so he seemed like a good fit. But the expectations for him weren’t very high.

So how surprised were the fans–and maybe even the Cubs–to see him start the way he has? Descalso has played seen action in all but one game but has put up a slash of .400/.478/.600 with an OPS of 1.078. It’s early, but Descalso has far exceeded the expectations of not only the fans but the Cubs themselves.

These numbers aren’t likely to be sustainable, but it’s helped the Cubs keep their head above water early in this season. How his role changes when/if Addison Russell returns is yet to be determined. But if this keeps up, it’ll remain a prominent role.