3 awful spring training performances Cubs fans are overreacting to before Opening Day

The Chicago Cubs open play in Japan late Friday night in an exhibition matchup against the Hanshin Tigers as they prepare for next week's Tokyo Series. After that two-game tilt against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team will fly back to Arizona to close out spring training before opening up the remaining 160-game stretch of schedule against Corbin Burnes and the Diamondbacks on March 27.

To this point, Craig Counsell's club has fared well in Cactus League action, riding some big offensive performances to an 11-5 record, the second-best mark in amongst Arizona-based teams this spring. That being said, there have been a lot of big names struggling in the early going, prompting way too many Cubs fans to hit the panic button before the season has even started.

The Kyle Tucker trade isn't a bust because he had a bad spring

On Sunday, Kyle Tucker finally snapped a spring-long hitless streak this week, going yard against the San Francisco Giants and allowing the fanbase to breathe a collective sigh of relief in the process.

Even so, Tucker is the not-so-proud owner of a .043/.233/.174 in 23 at-bats this spring. That, paired with Cam Smith's domination in the Grapefruit League as a new member of the Houston Astros, isn't sitting well with folks - and is causing what is, at the end of the day, a lot of very unnecessary concern.

We're talking about a guy who put up 4.7 bWAR in less than half a season a year ago, a former three-time All-Star and World Series champion. There's a reason he came at such a premium price: he's one of the 10 or so best offensive weapons in all of Major League Baseball. For the first time since being drafted a decade ago by the Astros, Tucker is adjusting to a new organization and playing his spring games in a different complex (and state, for that matter).

Has he struggled? Sure. Is there any reason whatsoever to believe he's poised to, all of the sudden, turn in the worst year of his professional career? Absolutely not. He'll be fine and Cubs fans will soon be back to daydreaming about what it will take to keep him here the rest of his career.

Justin Steele got absolutely torched by the Brewers in his last start

Nothing like turning in a clunker before you go sit on a plane for 14+ hours, right? After missing his previous start due to flu-like symptoms, Justin Steele returned to the mound on Tuesday against the reigning NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers and was lit up to the tune of seven earned runs and 10 hits in just 3 2/3 innings.

That start ballooned his overall Cactus League numbers to an unsightly 9.35 ERA and .359 opponent batting average in three starts. But, again, should we be panicking about the 29-year-old southpaw? Absolutely not. We're talking about a guy who has been the epitome of consistency and reliability the last three years for the Cubs, plain and simple.

One starting pitcher has posted a lower ERA than Steele over the last two seasons: Yankees' ace Gerrit Cole, who will miss the entire 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery. In 2023, Steele finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting, going 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA in 30 starts. He returned from an early-season hamstring injury last year to almost identically mirror that level of performance, with a 3.07 ERA in 24 starts.

We know Steele is focused on making 30+ starts and pushing back into that 170+ innings range in 2025 and the Cubs' success, frankly, is riding on his ability to do so. This is a pitcher who has shown an ability to overcome a somewhat limited pitch mix and be the bulldog in the rotation, remiscient of former ace Jon Lester in many ways.

Bloated numbers after three spring starts is nothing to worry about, especially when you step back and look at the level of consistency he's delivered in his Cubs career. Steele will be fine and you can bet he's already forgotten about that clunker against Milwaukee as he ramps up for his regular season debut against the Dodgers in Tokyo next week.

Lofty hopes paired with a poor spring have Seiya Suzuki fans worried

Every spring, the we go through the same exercise: Seiya Suzuki is in the best shape of his life. Seiya Suzuki is going to be an All-Star this year. Seiya Suzuki is going to be a 30/100 player this season.

Is this the year these things come to fruition? The Japanese outfielder has improved at the plate with each passing season, peaking with a 138 OPS+ and .848 OPS last year, while hitting 21 home runs with 27 doubles and 73 RBI - but the Cubs still believe there's more in the tank for the 30-year-old, who will get the bulk of DH reps for the team this season following the signing of Tucker.

Hitting behind Tucker gives Suzuki more protection and deepens the Cubs' lineup. If Michael Busch can replicate what he did in a standout rookie campaign and the bottom of the order guys like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya put up numbers like they did in the second half, this has the makings of an especially potent offense.

Suzuki's .194/.257/.290 line this spring doesn't exactly scream 'breakout season incoming' - but there's little cause for concern. We've learned this lesson the hard way a thousand times: a hot spring doesn't mean a monster season and a slow start doesn't mean a guy is, all of the sudden, a disaster at the plate. When Suzuki locks in, he's as lethal as anyone in the game at the dish - so it's just a matter of time until he finds it and gets going.