Giving key Chicago Cubs players 2022 letter grades

The 2022 Chicago Cubs saw a lot of players rotate in and out of the active roster as they went through a 74-88 season as the rebuilding effort continued on the North Side. Without further ado, it’s time to give key players their letter grades based on what they did on the field.

Cubs infielders were a mixed bag this season, and a few really stood out

Willson Contreras: B+

Willson Contreras made his third All-Star team, reached 20+ home runs (22) for the fourth time in his career and posted a .815 OPS. Once again he was one of the best offensive catchers in baseball. While not the best defensive backstop, the value is in the bat and how he carries himself as a teammate. Contreras is the heart and soul of the team, and it would be hard to see him walk, but that seems likely.

Nico Hoerner: A

The fWAR leader of the Cubs (4.0), Hoerner sprayed the ball all over the ballpark and played great defense at shortstop, just two years after being a Gold Glove finalist at second. His DRS (defensive runs saved) at shortstop was 11. While not a power-hitting, high-walk guy, his ability to make contact and find grass makes him a promising future piece.

Patrick Wisdom: C+

Leading the team in home runs (25), Wisdom did exactly what we expected him to do on the heels of last summer’s breakout, which is hit the ball over the fence. The strikeouts and batting average numbers are never going to be good. Defensively he took a bit of a step back this year, but in the end, the home run power kept him on the team. Like 2021, he hit some absolute moonshots at Wrigley Field.

Nick Madrigal: D+

His debut season with the Cubs was riddled with injuries, limited him to just 209 at-bats. The first few months were pretty rough production-wise, but he did slash .300/.378/.338 in August which helped raise his grade a bit. If he is part of the team in 2023, the hope is he can stay healthy and be the guy he was on the South Side. It had to be frustrating for him to deal with all the injuries.

Christopher Morel: B-

A new fan favorite who brings positive energy and good vibes to the team, Christopher Morel was called up from Double-A early in the season and worked through ups and downs the rest of the year. Slugging 16 home runs, 19 doubles and four triples was a nice feat for the rookie. He still has some work to do at the plate, as he struck out 135 times in 375 at-bats, but he completely skipped Triple-A, so he gets more leeway. Hopefully he takes another step forward in 2023 in whatever role he serves.

Alfonso Rivas: C

An intriguing prospect who saw some ups and downs at the plate, he finished with a .235/.322/.307 slash. His numbers against lefties were brutal, but much better against righties. Rivas potentially provides a bench/platoon bat for certain matchups going forward, but he’s definitely not a go-to starter at this point.

Yan Gomes: B

He did what he was paid to do, be a solid veteran catcher behind the plate. He seemed to work well with the Cubs pitching staff which will be welcomed again next year, especially if Contreras departs.

Frank Schwindel: F

Respect for Frank Schwindel’s breakout in late 2021 but, unfortunately, it did not carry over in 2022. It was probably a bit unfair to expect him to do so, but the Cubs gave him a chance. Best of luck to Frank the Tank.

P.J. Higgins: C-

P.J. Higgins was hitting the ball very well for a period of time before falling off a bit. He was versatile on the field, playing around the infield and behind the plate. An OK job for a guy who is considered a AAAA player.

David Bote: B-

He put up respectable numbers at the plate, slashing .261/.317/.435 with four homers in 41 games. The defense was pretty rough at times though, something he was better at earlier in his career. Bote only played in 41 games because of the shoulder injury he sustained last year.

Andrelton Simmons: F

“That’s not Carlos Correa…”

Jonathan Villar: F

Seemed like a decent signing at the time, seeing as Villar has had a solid career. But, as we all know now, it did not work out in the slightest. The veteran slashed just .222/.271/.327 before Chicago cut ties with him. His defense was brutal, as well, which didn’t help matters.

Zach McKinstry: D+

It was nice to give him a deserved shot after acquiring him for Chris Martin, and he did have his moments, but his wRC+ as a Cub was 78. I will give him credit for playing some solid defense, but it’s hard to see him carve out regular playing time in 2023.

Cubs pitching has shown a lot of promise over the past few months.

NOTE: Some pitchers who threw under 40 innings and/or are not considered future pieces omitted.

Marcus Stroman: B+

The right-hander came in and replicated what he has on his career resume. 3.50 ERA, 3.76 FIP and 1.5 WHIP in 25 starts. He did miss some time due to injury after the really bad start against the Cardinals, but the body of work was overall very solid. Not much else to say but a job well done.

Justin Steele: A

Arguably the best storyline of the season, Justin Steele turned himself into a legit force to be reckoned with. He posted a 3.18 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 1.4 WHIP and 126 strikeouts in 119 innings. The slider looked filthy and displayed good fastball velocity. As the season went on, he grew stronger.

Keegan Thompson: B-

Had mixed results as a starter, but overall very good as a reliever. This kid has some really solid stuff and the biggest challenge will be finding consistency. Thompson proved this year he can be a piece for the future, maybe a swingman.

Kyle Hendricks: D

The Professor only made 16 starts before missing half of the season due to injury. While he showed flashes of his old self from time to time, it was an overall struggle. A 4.80 ERA and 4.82 FIP pitcher is a far cry from what we saw from 2014-2020. His legacy as a Cubs hero is set in stone regardless.

Drew Smyly: B

A nice surprise. The veteran, who has gone through a lot in terms of injury and bouncing around in his career, pitched very efficiently. It will be interesting to see if the mutual option is exercised for next year or if the two sides hammer out a new deal to keep him in Chicago.

Adrian Sampson: B+

Another nice surprise, Sampson made 19 starts and pitched to a 3.11 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 104. 1/3 innings. He kept the team in games and ate some innings too. The stuff was not dominant, and one could wonder about 2023 regression, but much credit to him for being a nice piece in the rotation this year.

Rowan Wick: C-

His strikeout numbers were good, but command and overall numbers were a tick or two below the league average. He had some really good stretches, but a lot of rough outings as well.

Brandon Hughes: B

His debut season saw a lot of positives, with a few rough patches. The strikeout numbers were very good with 68 in 57 2/3 innings, as was the ERA (3.12). He did have some issues with home runs. That said, Hughes can build off an overall solid first year in 2023.

David Robertson: A

Chicago took a flier on the former All-Star reliever and it paid off handsomely. He was rock solid as closer, recording 14 saves and pitching to a 2.23 ERA and 11.4 K/9. The Cubs got an intriguing prospect from the Phillies for him in Ben Brown at the deadline.

Scott Effross: A+

Pitched lights out, and then was flipped to the Yankees, getting the Cubs Hayden Wesneski at the trade deadline. A win-win.

Mychal Givens: B

Another good find by Jed Hoyer, Givens struck out 51 hitters in 40 2/3 innings before being dealt to the Mets. Suffice to say, things didn’t go quite as well for the veteran in Queens.

Mark Leiter Jr: C

One might not remember his performance that fondly, but he quietly pitched to a 2.49 ERA, 3.54 FIP and 27 strikeouts in his last 19 appearances. His overall season numbers were not spectacular, but honestly not as awful as we might remember them as.

Michael Rucker: B-

A decent year overall, strikeout numbers were pretty good with 50 in 54 1/3 innings.

Wade Miley: C-

He was a notable acquisition this offseason but spent most of 2022 injured. Hard to give a bad grade because his performance was decent, and getting hurt was not his fault, but it’s also hard to give high marks for a guy who didn’t see the field much.

Hayden Wesneski: A

A potential future starter, he really impressed in his brief but exciting first go-around in the majors. The slider is nasty. Don’t forget his immaculate inning, either. Hopefully it’s a preview of what’s to come.

Javier Assad: B

Shout out to the 24-year-old for coming up on a need basis and pitching well when just about nobody expected him to.

Daniel Norris: F

Reclamation project that just did not work out, he pitched better in Detroit.

Chris Martin: B

The peripherals looked much better (3.02 FIP and 11.5 K/9) than the 4.31 ERA.

Adbert Alzolay: Incomplete

Came back very late, but the stuff looks pretty good. He still can be a part of the future.

Caleb Kilian: Incomplete

It was not particularly pretty, but the noted prospect only threw 11.1 MLB innings.

As mentioned in some of the evaluations, certain circumstances for select players make it harder to assign a grade to. While this season has not been the best, the second half certainly gave Cubs fans a glimmer of hope.