3 Chicago Cubs players who will shatter expectations in 2023

Aug 16, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele
Aug 16, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele | Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
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The Chicago Cubs look ready to make a run at the NL Central again with the additions they made in the offseason. With the Cardinals relying on some very good, but aging players like Adam Wainwright and Paul Goldschmidt to carry them, and the Milwaukee Brewers penny-pinching their ace in arbitration, the Cubs are looking to take advantage of their division's weakness and sneak into the playoffs. And there are many underrated guys on this ball club that will help the Cubs return to October baseball. Here are three guys currently on the Cubs roster that will shatter expectations in 2023.

1. Seiya Suzuki

After a rocky first year in MLB, complete with a weeks-long injury and average offensive production, Seiya Suzuki is set to prove all the haters wrong. Some projections have the Japanese-born outfielder finishing the 2023 campaign with just 12 home runs, which is just crazy. With a season to get his feet wet in MLB and learn the dynamics of the Chicago Cubs, I think Suzuki is primed for a big year. After all, the reason the Cubs signed him is because of his impressive track record in Japan. He has multiple gold gloves and 25+ homer seasons under his belt while playing for the Hiroshima Carp. We saw glimpses of his power and plate discipline last season, and he will be the undisputed right-fielder now that Jason Heyward is gone. If he can put it all together, Suzuki will be a force to be reckoned with in a Cubs lineup that has added other power hitters like Trey Mancini, Cody Bellinger and Dansby Swanson to supplement him.

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