Chicago Cubs: Projecting the team’s top performers in 60-game season

Chicago Cubs: Infielders primed for big numbers in 2020

If 2019 beginning-of-season-stats are any indication, the three core members of the Cubs infield are going to have a very, very productive 60 games. Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant all shot out of the gates in 2019 and all have a proven track record of success.

With Bryant at the top of the lineup, Rizzo right behind him, and Baez probably trailing Rizzo in the three hole, the Cubs, as a whole, will go as their infielders go. Expect each to put up numbers similar to their career norms, with Rizzo and Bryant losing a few ticks from RBI total due to moving up in the order.

Each of those three players should put up double digit home runs and approach 25 RBI in this shortened season, with the ability to push toward 15 dingers and 30 RBI if the offense is in top form.

As for the fourth cog in the infield whee l- it will depend on who wins the job and how much the Cubs decide they want Nico Hoerner out there from the start. With no minor league season, it makes no sense to hold him back at all- especially when every game matters this much more in 2020.

Hoerner is the best option the Cubs have to play second base and hit from that spot on a regular basis, so I went forward with the idea that Hoerner and Bote would be there for the most part (with Bote maybe getting some time at third base as well to spell Bryant, with Hoerner moving over to spell Baez).

Granted, guys won’t need as much of a rest in a shortened season, but keeping guys fresh and making sure to cycle through the DH spot is another concern NL clubs will have this season.

• Anthony Rizzo – .285/.385/.520, 10 home runs, 30 RBI
• Nico Hoerner – .278/.330/.430, 5 home runs, 20 RBI
• David Bote – .270/.328/.435, 4 home runs, 15 RBI
• Javier Baez -.302/.334/.521, 14 home runs, 37 RBI
• Kris Bryant – .290/.405/.500, 12 home runs, 26 RBI

Chicago Cubs: These three should get bulk of the time in front of the ivy

If the Cubs are going to do well in this shortened season, they’ll definitely need their veteran pitchers to pitch well. However, that being said, if their outfield can produce the way they are capable and have in spurts over the past couple seasons, the offense as a whole could be a juggernaut.

Kyle Schwarber in left field, Ian Happ (with some Albert Almora) in centerfield, and Jason Heyward in right field make up a group that has fallen short of projections and fans’ hopes since 2016. Happ wasn’t even in the big leagues for all of 2019, Heyward hit a wall when plopped in the leadoff spot last season, and Kyle Schwarber just kept hitting missiles into the shift for the first half of last year.

That being said, each had a run of success that could make fans optimistic for a 60 game run in 2020. Schwarber is likely to be right in the middle of things in the lineup, likely in the cleanup spot. If Bryant, Rizzo, and Baez hold true to form, Schwarber will be hitting with men on base all over the place. If he can replicate his success from the second half of last season, watch out- an MVP type performance (I know, gasp!) might just be in the cards.

If the Cubs can get even average performance out of Heyward they’ll take it, as he is still a top notch defensive player in right. And, if Happ can produce the way he did down the stretch, the Cubs will lengthen their lineup considerably. Throw in nominal at bats for Almora and newly acquired Steven Souza Jr. and that’s all she wrote for the outfielders.

• Kyle Schwarber – .271/.363/.565, 17 home runs, 41 RBI
• Ian Happ – .247/.351/.483, 11 home runs, 24 RBI
• Jason Heyward – .273/.341/.412, 5 home runs, 21 RBI
• Albert Almora – .271/.312/.417, 4 home runs, 15 RBI
• Steven Souza Jr. – .254/.335/.431, 5 home runs, 14 RBI

Chicago Cubs: Catcher and DH may look mysteriously similar this season

If everything goes to plan (which it probably won’t because it’s 2020), it’s hard to envision a scenario where Willson Contreras and Victor Caratini don’t occupy the DH and catcher slots in the lineup nearly every game this season. Granted, Caratini could spell Rizzo at first base every once in a while and Contreras could go shag some balls in the outfield a couple games, but you’re likely to see these two guys entrenched as the catcher and DH this season.

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With the DH now in the NL, it gives the Cubs the option of starting their best catching matchup given the day’s starting pitcher, without worrying about hurt feelings or leaving a hot bat out of the lineup. And, as we know from 2019, both Caratini and Contreras can sizzle at the plate when healthy.

Ahhhhhh, the caveat… when healthy. That has been the issue for both in the past couple seasons, yet with the ability to give each other rest on a more regular basis with the DH in play, the injury piece could be a thing of the past.

If any club were better situated for the DH in the NL, I don’t know who it is. The ability to rest Contreras and keep him healthy AND still in the lineup as DH, while also having a very good switch-hitting Caratini bat almost always in the lineup could be worth its weight in gold for the Cubs in 2020.

• Willson Contreras – .288/.348/.501, 13 home runs, 38 RBI
• Victor Caratini -.274/.344/.471, 8 home runs, 24 RBI

Chicago Cubs: Darvish looks to lead rotation

With one-fifth of the Cubs rotation already down and no bonafide number five starter, it’s hard to not be cautiously pessimistic about the way the rotation looks heading into this shortened season. Granted, the veterans have had plenty of rest, but their pitching schedules have been completely thrown out of whack by the starting and stopping of two “spring trainings” and the lockdowns/quarantines provided by COVID-19.

That being said, hope springs eternal in baseball, so even with Jose Quintana’s lack of cutlery acuity, perhaps there are some bright spots with the Cubs pitchers. Jon Lester looks to bounce back with his even year trend and a shortened season where he can let it all hang out. Yu Darvish looks to resume his standing as a bonafide ace after a spectacular second half in 2019 that saw him strike out 151 while only walking 12 from June 10 through the end of the season.

Kyle Hendricks will be a rock because, well, he’s Kyle Hendricks. “The Professor” is probably the guy least likely to be affected by anything, including a worldwide pandemic, shortened schedule, new rules, etc. And, without the need to burden himself with going up there to hit, Hendricks should be able to lock in on mechanical and in-game adjustments even more readily. David Ross will also have the ability to make pitching changes without having to worry about where spots come up the next inning – something many Cubs starters could have benefitted from over the last couple seasons when pulled early by Joe Maddon.

Tyler Chatwood, Alec Mills and Adbert Alzolay should make up the rest of the rotation and swingman spots for 2020, although Quintana will hopefully be back and ready to go posthaste. In the bullpen, Ross should be leaning hard on Craig Kimbrel and Rowan Wick on the back-end- here’s hoping Kimbrel has figured things out and is back to his career norms.

• Yu Darvish- 6-3, 3.51 ERA, 103 Ks, 12 BBs
• Jon Lester- 5-4, 3.31 ERA, 67 Ks, 20 BBs
• Kyle Hendricks- 7-1, 2.91 ERA, 69 Ks, 17 BBs
• Jose Quintana- 4-5, 4.01 ERA, 60 Ks, 24 BBs
• Tyler Chatwood- 4-3, 3.97 ERA, 77 Ks, 33 BBs
• Craig Kimbrel- 1-4, 3.27 ERA, 36 Ks, 11 BBs, 24 Saves
• Rowan Wick- 1-1 2.31 ERA, 35 Ks, 9 BBs, 2 Saves

Regardless of what numbers your favorite Cubs produce, the most important number is always the number of wins and how many games they’re ahead in the division- let’s hope those numbers take care of themselves, because you know these projections will somehow get all messed up in this crazy year we know as 2020.