Chicago Cubs: Albert Almora says he’s overhauled his approach

After the worst season of his career, Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora is hoping a revamped approach will help him get back on track in 2020.

You can chalk me up as one of the people who’s ready to move on from Albert Almora as the everyday answer in center field moving forward. For the better part of two years, he’s been one of the least valuable offensive players in baseball. But the Chicago Cubs are still hanging on, hoping for him to tap into the potential that made him a first-round pick back in 2012.

I’ll give him credit though – he’s not shying away from his shortcomings. Almora knows he hasn’t played up to the standards he or the organization have set. He spent the offseason re-tooling his swing and his mental approach to the game in hopes of becoming an answer in the outfielder moving forward.

The biggest difference last season was his defense, which took a sharp turn in the wrong direction. Long considered a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder, he was taking poor routes to balls, dropping others and looking lost unlike at any point we’ve seen in his Cubs career.

If he can actually overhaul his game, hopefully learning to work counts and accepting that getting on base – regardless of whether it’s a hit or a walk – counts all the same, he could be a legitimate answer to multiple problems facing the ball club heading into the 2020 campaign.

Chicago Cubs: Almora needs to work counts, focus on hard contact

Last season was a complete lost cause at the dish for Almora. On the year, he managed a measly .271 OBP. Now, that’s never been a strong suit for the 25-year-old. In the past, his on-base percentage has been buoyed by a .289 batting average from 2016 to 2018. But last year, that number plummeted, as he hit just .236.

“Yeah I wasn’t in a good place mentally,” Almora told NBC Sports Chicago this week. “The team wasn’t going where it needed to be, and that obviously sucks. And then, my performance wasn’t where I wanted it to be as well. I didn’t think the way I was going about the day was the correct way, in regards to getting prepared for the game. Little things like that.

Make no mistake. Chicago needs either Almora or fellow outfielder Ian Happ to find consistent success this year. Without either of them, it’s hard telling what kind of black hole center field will turn into yet again. Ideally, both are successful, giving first-year manager David Ross options when he’s filling out the lineup card.

Last season, Almora hit the ball on the ground more than he has at any point in his big league career and his soft-hit percentage was also at an all-time high. His solution? Completely revamping his swing. He told reporters in Mesa that once games start, we’ll see a visible difference when he’s at the plate.