Chicago Cubs: Remember these players from the past decade

Chicago Cubs: Jon Jay in 2017

2017 was the “hangover” year for the Chicago Cubs, as they were coming off their World Series championship and didn’t perform up to expectations during the first half of the season. However, they came on strong again in the second half and were able to take the NL Central title with a 92-70 record. They then squeaked by the Washington Nationals in the Division Series before losing to a superior Los Angeles Dodgers team in the NL Championship Series.

There were a few players from that team that performed well but haven’t received the recognition. Albert Almora, Jr. made the top 50 list, though he had an underappreciated 2017, batting .298. As a rookie, Ian Happ actually was fourth on the team with 24 home runs, though he too made the list. Out of the bullpen, Brian Duensing had a great year, while Koji Uehara was also solid.

However, as my pick to highlight for 2017, I went with outfielder Jon Jay. While playing for the rival St. Louis Cardinals, Jay always managed to find his way into the lineup no matter who the Cardinals brought onto their roster. Jay got into 141 games for the Cubs in 2017, and though he didn’t hit for much power, he batted a solid .296 with a .374 OBP. Jay was also versatile, seeing significant time at all three outfield spots.

The Cubs didn’t bring Jay back after his lone year with the Cubs in 2017. He spent 2018 with the Kansas City Royals and Arizona Diamondbacks, while he played for the Chicago White Sox in 2019.