Chicago Cubs may be forced to turn to the world’s greatest leadoff hitter

Without a clear-cut leadoff hitter, first-year manager David Ross may turn to Anthony Rizzo atop the Chicago Cubs lineup when the season opens in March.

Even with the rumored addition of veteran Steven Souza Jr., the Cubs still lack an answer when it comes to the long-standing leadoff question. Since Dexter Fowler left for St. Louis after helping Chicago end a century-plus title drought, the team has been looking for a solution, trying an array of names as the table setter.

So far, really only two guys have found success in the role. The first, veteran Ben Zobrist, faces a future that is still very unclear moving forward. The two-time World Series champion missed most of the 2019 campaign while dealing with family issues off the field. But he returned and did what he’s always done – gave manager Joe Maddon nothing but gritty, professional at-bats.

Zobrist turned in a .377 on-base percentage over the season’s final month – but it was not enough as Chicago faded down the stretch, finishing third in the division race. Now, there’s no guarantee the team doesn’t bring him back for one more go-round, but until they move some money (perhaps in a Kris Bryant trade) – it seems unlikely.

The other guy who’s found consistent success atop the order? First baseman Anthony Rizzo. Of course, it’s never ideal when you’re trotting out your power-hitting first corner infielder as your leadoff hitter. But that’s what it’s come down to far too often in recent years – and I wouldn’t rule out a return to that role again in 2020.

Chicago Cubs: Rizzo checks a lot of boxes for the team

At last weekend’s Cubs Convention, reporters asked Rizzo about potentially returning to the leadoff spot this season. Ever the team-first presence, the three-time All-Star offered up his thoughts:

“That will be something I will not be lobbying for in the early going,” Rizzo said. “But, you know, we’ll see. We’ll see how that plays out. Obviously, I’ve done well hitting leadoff, but I truly love hitting third and fourth. But, whatever Rossy comes up with, I’m obviously all-in with.”

So while he’s not pushing to return to the top of the order, if it comes down to it, Rizzo will answer the call once again. Last season, he had a 1.030 OPS leading off an inning, regardless of his spot in the batting order. That bodes well – especially for a team that’s struggled to manufacture offense the last few seasons.

Rizzo boasts a career .335/.426/.602 line out of the leadoff spot, spanning some 244 plate appearances. Clearly, we’re not talking about a limited sample size at this point. He knows what he’s doing when it comes to setting his teammates up for success.

It might sound overly simplified or too old-school for a lot of people, but Rizzo does the little things that make him successful there. When he’s down in the count, especially with two strikes, he chokes up and drastically shortens his stroke – something several of his teammates have failed to do.

Chicago Cubs: Answers seem likely to come internally

The ill-fated Kyle Schwarber leadoff experiment is still pretty fresh in the minds of fans. The same can be said of last year’s attempt to insert veteran Jason Heyward atop the order. I don’t think we’ll see Heyward lead off again in 2020 – he made it pretty clear he didn’t enjoy hitting first.

That, paired with his horrendous .147 average out of the leadoff spot – including a .188 OBP leading off the game last year, should be enough to keep Heyward lower in the lineup where he turned in some of the best offensive numbers of his Cubs career.

No matter what Maddon tried in 2019, the team lacked any real answer. Despite the painstaking evidence showing Chicago needs a legitimate leadoff hitter atop the lineup, though, Theo Epstein has not addressed it so far this winter.

“I feel really, honestly embarrassed by the on-base numbers we’ve had in the leadoff spot,” Epstein told NBC Sports Chicago last September. “That’s not the way at all to build an offense. To the point where you roll it back again, you might just want to consider taking any one of your best hitters and just throwing them up in the leadoff spot. The No. 1 rule of lineup construction is get your best hitters up top, bunch them together, get them up top in the lineup and let them do some damage.”

Schwarber, fresh off a 38-home run showing last year, could, at least in theory, get another look – despite his past shortcomings. When Chicago drafted him, his best tool, according to scouts, was his approach at the plate. That hasn’t changed – but it looked like when he was leading off, he was looking more to work counts than punish pitches.

The Cubs could lose some firepower in the middle of the order with Schwarber atop the lineup. It’s one of many questions facing Ross heading into his first season at the helm.