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Chicago Cubs: Who is hot and who is not in spring
Chicago Cubs: Spring stats mean more to the players trying to play for spots
We are a few weeks into Cactus League play, and key players on the Chicago Cubs roster have gotten a decent amount of action to this point. Position players that are either projected to make the Opening Day roster or are competing for a final spot have gotten at least 15 at-bats going into Sunday. There is still plenty of cutting down to be done.
Stats in spring might not mean a lot for guys like Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras and Kris Bryant (though the leadoff experiment is worth tracking), but other guys trying to either bounce back or push for a roster spot are worth looking at. So far, there have been some pleasantly surprising performances from fringe guys and prospects, which could sway how the final spots are filled up.
In the end, Cactus League stats will be forgotten as soon as the season starts, but at least they can somewhat help evaluate what the Cubs have in their organization in terms of MLB-ready talent. Here is a look at some critical guys outside the main core who are hot and who are not so far this spring.
Chicago Cubs: Some fringe players are making a case for them to make the Opening Day roster so far
28-year old outfielder Ian Miller has only 12 MLB games under his belt in his career, but he is making the most of his playing time this spring. Going into Sunday, he had the most at-bats on the entire Cubs roster in Cactus League play. Putting up a .345/.441/.414 slash and seven stolen bases in that time, he is making himself a bit more known among avid Cubs followers. He might have a shot if he keeps it up to be a bench option.
This season could very well be the final shot for Almora to prove he has a future with the organization. His 2019 struggles which featured a .236/.271/.381 slash and a vast defensive regression have put him in a position where he needs to show he is worth keeping. So far, he is hitting .333/.385/.625 with a 1.010 OPS and two homers. He says he has changed his approach. Hopefully, it translates to the regular season.
Time for Ian Happ to show the world he is a valuable ballplayer. After spending much time in the minors in 2019, he looks to become an established MLB slugger. So far this spring, he is scolding the ball, putting up a .500/.522/.900 slash with two homers, 1.422 OPS and eight RBI. He has batted some leadoff this spring and played in center. We will not know if he is truly here to be that established MLB slugger until he shows it in the regular season consistently, but this is at least a good sign.
The team’s “big” free agent move is looking to rebound after suffering significant injury and missing all of 2019. Cubs fans would love to see the Souza Jr. who hit 30 homers for the Rays in 2017, but any sort of production at the plate from a non-starter would honestly be welcomed. So far, he is slashing .316/.409/.421 with a .830 OPS. He looks healthy and seems confident, which is great to see.
After a breakout season in 2019, the Cubs backup catcher has not missed a beat in Cactus League play with the bat. He is hitting .438/.526/.813 with a 1.339 OPS and three doubles. He seems to be fitting in with the team very well and has built a great relationship with Yu Darvish. It is looking perfect for the Cubs catcher core heading into 2020.
The 26-year old utility man is making a bit of a name for himself this spring. He is a 25th round pick in 2016 by the Cubs and played in 126 games in Triple-A last year. While he is likely not getting a shot at the bigs to start 2020, his .409/.444/.591 slash and team-leading 12 RBIs is worth giving a shout out.
Chicago Cubs: There is not a lot of doubt guys like Kyle Hendricks will be ready for 2020, but bullpen pitchers will have a lot of eyes on them
The Professor has been working since January to get ready for the 2020 season. He has pitched in four games (9.0 innings) and has struck out eight batters, walked one and has a .100 average against with a 1.00 ERA. He is midseason form and should be considered for the Opening Day start in Milwaukee.
The competition for the five-spot in the rotation is looking a bit more interesting now as Mills has really impressed so far this spring. Heading into Sunday, the 28-year old righty has pitched the most innings on the team (9.2) and sports a 0.93 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and seven strikeouts. Mills has made some nice spots starts with the Cubs before, but he could find a permanent role in 2020 as a starter.
Right now, the five-spot in the rotation is Chatwood’s to lose. So far, Chatwood’s stuff has looked very sharp and has only walked two hitters in 6.0 innings. He sports a 0.83 WHIP, .150 average against and an ERA of 3.00. Last year showed Chatwood could be a useful asset on the team, and if his command is better, he can be a tough pitcher to hit.
He has only pitched in three games, but the stuff looks good. He has two strikeouts in 3.0 innings with a 0.00 ERA and no walks. If he is healthy and back to form, he could be a huge asset for the bullpen in 2020.
Chicago Cubs: Some struggling players might have a tough hill to climb now if they want to make the roster
After suffering an ankle injury and putting up a dismal .173/.271/.250 slash in 2019, Descalso looks to rebound in 2020. So far, the 33-year old utility man is hitting just .095/.208/.095 in 21 at-bats. The bat speed looks slow, and he just cannot seem to catch up to anything. He is in the final year of his deal, but his roster spot could be in jeopardy. He had some decent years Colorado and Arizona as a bench/utility man, but he might just be washed at this point.
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Brought in on a MiLB deal, Perez was never really expected to hit much. His best asset is his above-average glove and ability to play virtually every position on the field. Still, one cannot ignore the .105/.292/.105 slash this spring so far. Unless he is the 26th man as a defensive replacement/pinch-runner on the Opening Day roster, Perez is probably not staying around much longer with the log-jam of position players ahead of him.
The past few seasons, fans have held out hope that Mekkes could be a useful spot in the bullpen. Mekkes (25) put up some great numbers in the minors in his career before struggling in Triple-A last season. So far this spring, he sports a 10.38 ERA and 2.31 WHIP in 4.1 innings pitched. The future for him is a bit unclear.
One of the big-name prospects in the Cubs organization, Alzolay, has had a bumpy road to the majors. While showing flashes of promise, he has dealt with multiple injuries. He has a real tough spring, sporting a 10.80 ERA and 2.20 WHIP in 5.0 innings. He might start in the minors if he does not win that fifth-starter spot, which right now is not looking good for him.
While not the worst hitter on the team, Kipnis has not done much with the bat. His defense has looked solid and seems to be a welcoming presence on the team, but the hits are not coming. So far, he is slashing .222/.250/.333 in 18 at-bats. Whatever a step just below lukewarm is, that is where Kipnis is at. His likely role of being a platoon guy at second to start the year at least does not have the entire second base position riding on his performance.
Next. Cubs rotation key in race for the NL Central crown. dark
As we reach nearer to Opening Day, it will be interesting to see if some struggling veterans are replaced with some of the younger fringe guys playing well. The five-spot in the rotation is also an exciting thing to keep an eye on. The beginning of the season is right around the corner.