Cubs: Ranking the top candidates to lead the team in home runs

This Cubs roster has maybe a half-dozen guys capable of popping 20+ homers.

As Pat Hughes says, “this lineup has a lot of thunder in it.” Despite Chicago’s inconsistency in terms of run production, this Cubs team has plenty of power. Last season’s unusual 60-game season did not allow for any of these guys to hit their normal home run totals. This year they can play a normal season again and let the ball fly over 162 games.

In 2019 six different Cubs hit the 20+ home run mark, with two hitting 30+. Overall the Cubs ranked sixth in home runs in baseball that year. Last season three guys hit double digits with the leader being Ian Happ (12). This was a season in which Kris Bryant was struggling with more injuries and Javier Baez had a really down year. If these two bounce back, then they can, and likely will be, among the group of players who can lead the team in home runs.

Who will be the prime candidates to lead the team in home runs and who looks to be number one on the list? Let’s look at them and see where they are projected in 2021. We will look at projections including: ZiPS, Steamer, and THE BAT. Keep in mind these are not the only projections out there, but three solid ones.