3 players who will outperform - 1. Christopher Morel
After seeing what we saw from Christopher Morel, I understand the .250 batting average he's projected for, coupled with the 28 home runs and 85 RBIs. I disagree and say that it's time for Morel to leap into stardom. He should work on his patience at the plate, with his raw power still allowing him to hit the ball with authority. The biggest concern is finding his at-bats on a given day because if he plays daily, I see 30+ homers easily for Morel.
Last season, Morel appeared in just 107 big-league contests, about two-thirds of the season, and still managed 26 long balls. Between MLB and Triple-A, he recorded 37 bombs and 101 RBIs. His ZiPS says he'll appear in 137 games this year, so to still project him for an ISO of .230 (.260 last year) while receiving 130 more at-bats in the season and only hitting two more home runs than last year is inaccurate to me. Morel is only 24 years old and has not even entered his prime. He is the definition of an X-factor for the Cubs in 2024.