2024 Chicago Cubs projected lineup after Cody Bellinger contract

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After the Chicago Cubs signed Cody Bellinger to a new three-year deal, the offense will likely be a key strength for the team in 2024. With multiple prospects that possess high upside, including a solid five-player core, at the very worst, this team should be as good as last season from an offensive standpoint. Projecting the lineup shows how much depth this team has moving forward. Let's take a look at the squad that Cubs manager Craig Counsell likely rolls with as an everyday lineup this season:

1. Nico Hoerner, 2B

Hoerner is an excellent lead-off man with his elite contact skills and speed on the base paths. Last year, he swiped a career-high 43 bags and stayed consistently on base with a slash line of .283/.346/.383. The most important part was that he stayed healthy, as his 619 at-bats were also a career-high. He is the engine that can drive this lineup, and he is only followed by guys that can drive him in.

2. Ian Happ, LF

Followed by Hoerner is Ian Happ, who does an even better job getting on base. Happ found himself with an OBP of .360 last season, and with these two and your 1-2 punch at the top, the Cubs likely find themselves with a lot of traffic on base in 2024. Hitting with runners in scoring position will be critical for this team since nobody is projected to hit over 30 HRs this year. Having Happ get on base at a high clip will set the table for the rest of this lineup.

3. Seiya Suzuki, RF

The lineup only gets more potent from here, as Seiya Suzuki proved he can both hit for average and get on base often with a slash of .285/.357/.485 in 515 ABs last season. I'm looking forward to seeing if Suzuki can hit for a little more power, given that the Cubs ideally want more than 20 home runs out of the 3-spot in the lineup. Still, he is poised to keep improving, as he did from year one to year two.

4. Cody Bellinger, 1B

Welcome back, Cody Bellinger. Likely reprising his role as the clean-up man for the Cubs, Bellinger's comeback season was one of the main reasons the team was so close to a playoff berth in 2023. You can look into his advanced metrics all you want, but Bellinger reinvented himself and his approach at the plate. If he can get closer to 150 games this season, there's reason to believe he'll get to 30 HRs/100 RBIs with how many guys in front of him are getting on base.

5. Dansby Swanson, SS

Dansby Swanson is coming off of a dip in offensive production from the year prior when the Cubs decided to ink him to a seven-year deal. I love him in the 5-spot behind Bellinger because if Bellinger is red-hot and gets pitched around often, Swanson will find himself with multiple opportunities to do damage. His elite defense always gives him the potential to be an All-star if the bat follows suit.

6. Michael Busch, DH

Our first prospect to make the list is Michael Busch, the focal point of a trade earlier this winter with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His lefty bat in the lineup helps balance lefty/righty hitters for Counsell when needed, and there won't be many games when the Cubs can't roll out a lineup that opposing pitchers will fear. Last year, Busch hit .323/.431/.618 with 27 homers and 90 RBIs in Triple-A in only 390 at-bats. Anything close to that in the majors will make this lineup one of the best in baseball.

7. Christopher Morel, 3B

Regarding players on insane trajectories last season, Christopher Morel comes in in the seventh spot. This is where you realize how deep this lineup is getting. Morel's 26 home runs and 70 RBIs in 107 games had him at a crazy pace a year ago. Already looking great in Spring Training, production such as this from this low in the lineup is rare, and if Morel sticks at third base, he'll have every opportunity to play every day, where the sky is the limit.

8. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF

Pete Crow-Armstrong has much to prove offensively, but he can get there this spring before the Cubs set a 26-man roster. Seeing him rope a double into the gap in his first at-bat of Spring Training was encouraging, considering it came off an MLB veteran pitcher. We will have to monitor his plate appearances this spring because if he can be ready to patrol the center field every day, the Cubs lineup will be much more profound and give them one of the best defenses in the league.

9. Yan Gomes, C

Yan Gomes still gets the start for me behind the dish until Miguel Amaya is ready to take over. As the season continues, I expect more of Amaya and less of Gomes starting games. Gomes' game-calling ability is top-notch, and his bat was great in clutch situations last year. He is on an expiring contract, so hopefully, he can teach the young Amaya as many tricks and skills as possible before reaching free agency.

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