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Looking back at the last 10 years of Cubs spring training standouts

Dan O'Keefe|
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 17: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs in action against the New York Mets during game one of the 2015 MLB National League Championship Series at Citi Field on October 17, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Mets defeated the Cubs 4-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 17: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs in action against the New York Mets during game one of the 2015 MLB National League Championship Series at Citi Field on October 17, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The Mets defeated the Cubs 4-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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Joc Pederson / Chicago Cubs
Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Cubs spring training MVPs of years past: 2021 – Joc Pederson

Joc Pederson, the newly-signed replacement for Kyle Schwarber in left field, blew past all expectations in Mesa in 2021, leading both the Cubs and MLB as a whole in home runs (8) and RBI (19), including this two-run blast. The Cubs finished camp with a 15-9 record, with Pederson’s performance raising hope for an exciting and surprising 2021 campaign.

Did he sustain it?

If the hope was for an exciting and surprising campaign, the result was a dour and disappointing slog.  The Cubs finished 71-91, blew up their World Series-winning core, and Pederson didn’t last the full year in Chicago, getting traded to Atlanta for prospect Bryce Ball.  Pederson’s tenure in Chicago was nothing special, hitting .230 with 11 home runs.  Just as with the rest of the 2021 season, it all just felt like a long sigh.

There was a three-year period where the Cubs had spring standouts that led to regular season success.  From 2014-2016, Luis Valbuena, Kris Bryant and the team, as a whole, set expectations high and surprisingly met them as the months wore on.

Other than those years, however, spring training (or summer camp) was just a way to get hope too high, only for those hopes to be dashed down the line.  Maybe Seiya Suzuki will set hopes high and live up to the billing this time around.  Only time will tell, but the odds aren’t in his favor.

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