3 Chicago Cubs players who'll be better in 2023 and 2 who won't

If nothing else, the 2023 Cubs will be intriguing. Barring some major breakout performances and adding at the trade deadline, they don't appear to be legitimate contenders. But they're also notably better (at least on paper) than they were a year ago and could prove to be a surprise team in the hunt right up till the end of the season.

There's a ton of new faces heading into camp next month, but it'll take those new guys and some familiar presences clicking and playing at a high level for this team to make the postseason. But we know odds are, there will be some positive surprises - as well as guys who underperform.

Here are 3 Cubs who will improve on their 2022 performances and 2 poised to take a step back.

3 Cubs players who will be better in 2023: #3 - Seiya Suzuki

Along with Marcus Stroman, Seiya Suzuki was the Cubs' biggest offseason acquisition a year ago. Signed to a five-year deal, the Japanese outfielder came to Chicago and got off to a scorching start, winning National League Rookie of the Month honors in April after he slashed .279/.405/.529 in his first taste of big league action.

From there, we saw some ups and downs, which included injuries and some expected adjustment periods as the league's arms changed how they attacked him. He finished the year with a 2.0 bWAR and 116 OPS+ in 111 contests. All in all, a solid debut season for the now-28-year-old.

In his second full MLB season, I think there's a good chance Suzuki takes a big step forward. He's more acclimated not only to the game, but the culture - and without those distractions and surprises, he should be able to lock in and showcase what made him the biggest international free agent a winter ago.

3 Cubs players who will be better in 2023: #2 - Kyle Hendricks

Boy, there's really no way to paint Kyle Hendricks' last two seasons in a positive light. He's been injured, ineffective and, really, has just been a shell of the guy who was quietly one of the most reliable starting pitchers in the league for the better part of a decade.

Since the start of the 2021 campaign, the veteran right-hander has made 48 starts, struggling to a 4.87 FIP and 87 ERA+. His home run rate has dramatically jumped and even advanced metrics have really soured on him (his Baseball Savant page looks, well, icy with all the blue on it).

But at Cubs Convention earlier this month, Hendricks seemed encouraged at his own progress this offseason, recovering from the shoulder woes that ended his 2022 season early. Looking to reinvent himself on the mound, he's made some mechanical tweaks he hopes will help him recapture his effectiveness.

“he hope is make everything sharper again. When you’re cutting things off, it’s not having the life that it’s going to have over home plate. And you give up a little bit of that against these hitters, they’re way too good.

Now, there's no guarantee Hendricks re-establishes himself this year. But given the fact the Cubs aren't rushing him back and all involved are instead focused on him being 100 percent healthy, I think he's going to be a shot in the arm for the rotation and a stabilzing veteran presence on a staff filled with young arms.

3 Cubs players who will be better in 2023: #1 - Cody Bellinger

Cody Bellinger is going to be your 2023 NL Comeback Player of the Year. You heard it here first, folks. Finally healthy and on a prove-it deal with the Cubs, the former National League Rookie of the Year and MVP is going to ball out at Wrigley this summer, giving the bleacher bums plenty to cheer for.

After an absolute disaster of a 2021 season, Bellinger rebounded a bit last year, but still fell well short of the superstar-level numbers he put up early in his career. Chicago is hoping a reunion between Bellinger and new Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly, who spent three years with the Dodgers, helps get the slugger back on track.

Frankly, after the last two years, I just feel like the only direction for this guy to go is up. He has put himself in a position to be a headliner next offseason if he can return to form in a free agent class of bats that's fairly weak - and at just 27 years old, there's no reason to think he's at the end of the road just yet.

Offensively speaking, this is the guy to watch. If he, all of the sudden, regains MVP-caliber dominance, the Cubs quickly look like a very different team. But given his Gold Glove defense in the outfield, he doesn't even need to hit that high water mark for him to make a difference in 2023.

2 Cubs players who won't be better in 2023: #1 - Brandon Hughes

Brandon Hughes emerged as the team's go-to lefty down the stretch in 2022, appearing in 57 games and finishing off 16. With a complete lack of southpaw options in tow right now (the Cubs will almost certainly add one before pitchers and catchers report), he figures to be a key contributor again in 2023.

I just don't know that I'm buying him replicating his 2022 performance: he worked to a 3.12 ERA while averaging more than 10.5 strikeouts per nine. At surface level, my questioning him may seem a bit odd, but FIP (4.64), a barrel rate that ranked in the bottom four percent of the league and a sub-par walk rate all suggest there's room for a downturn this year.

A .233 BABIP last year certainly didn't hurt Hughes - and I suspect we'll see something closer to league average in 2023. Again, I'm not saying he's not going to play a role because I think he's going to be your middle-innings lefty if you're David Ross, but there are enough red flags to make me hope and pray that Andrew Chafin or Matt Moore are close to joining the ranks.