3 long shots to make the Chicago Cubs Opening Day roster

3 long shots for Opening Day - 1. Caleb Kilian

Topping off the list we come to Caleb Kilian. In need of fine-tuning before confidence can be instilled that he will be effective at the major league level, Kilian will more than likely start the season at Iowa to further work on his control. In 2022, in Triple-A, he had a 4.22 ERA, but what was more concerning was his 1.566 WHIP. He issues 59 free passes in 106.2 innings pitched, on top of 9.1 hits per 9 frames.

On a positive note, Kilian recorded 125 strikeouts in those 106.2 innings, good for a 10.5 K/9. There is a lot of potential here that has yet to be unlocked. Unfortunately, with the Cubs looking to compete in 2023, the MLB level will not be the place for him to figure it out. He will, however, be a call away if necessary and as soon as he does take better command of the baseball, it won't be long before he dons a Cubs uniform. His ceiling is still very high.