Ranking the 5 most important Cubs entering the 2022 season

Cubs: 5 most important players heading into 2022 – #3: Patrick Wisdom

Patrick Wisdom makes this list due to the strong campaign he put together in 2021. Bursting onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere, the slugger went on to break Kris Bryant’s Cubs rookie record of most home runs in a season with 28. The most interesting thing that sticks out to me regarding this accomplishment is that Bryant, while hitting 26 home runs in 2015 in 559 at-bats, saw his record fall to Wisdom who hit 28 in just 338 ABs. He also hit a mark of 2.3 WAR in 374 plate appearances while Kris Bryant was at 2.5 in 375 PAs before he packed up for San Francisco.

All things considered, that’s a pretty emphatic smashing of that record. However, Wisdom, who hit 28 and drove in 61 across 106 games and therefore saw himself on pace for nearly a 40/100 season, wound up slashing just .231/.305/.518. More alarmingly, Wisdom’s strikeout rate of 40.4 percent is eyeball-burning to say the least. This number must come down in 2022.

Although it is common for sluggers these days to whiff more than the average guy, 40 percent is still just unacceptable. Wisdom now finds himself in a spot where he can completely fall off and become a flash in the pan or he can make adjustments and be a key player for the Cubs this year and for years to come.

Good things happen for Wisdom when he puts the ball in play. If he can cut down on his strikeout percentage while drawing a few more walks, he has potential to be the most important offensive weapon the Cubs possess.