5 Chicago Cubs who could win Rookie of the Year in 2024

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With Spring training coming in a little over a month, it's time to start looking ahead to the 2024 season and what certain Chicago Cubs can bring to the table individually. The team has at least five rookies who can excel, perhaps even more, and they will be looking to make an immediate impact next season. Without further ado, here are those five Cubs rookies who could win Rookie of the Year in 2024.

5 Cubs candidates for RoY in ‘24 - 5. Alexander Canario

Alexander Canario is first, as we already saw the potential he flashed last season when his breakout game consisted of a booming RBI double and a grand slam. Mindlessly, he was benched after that, and that was pretty much all we remember. Before his injury, Canario's bat looked like it could play at any level, as he hit 37 HRs while driving in 97 RBIs across three minor league levels in 2022. Now, having worked his way back, sitting him on the bench was as counter-productive as possible for him to get back into the swing of things.

Still, Canario's plus speed, power, and arm are all traits that play in the majors. If he is traded, I fear he will be one of the players we look back at, wishing we hadn't moved on. For 2024, his path to playing time is already somewhat obscured, given that if Pete Crow-Armstrong has a good Spring, he's a lock for a roster spot before Canario. The front office would have to decide on letting Crow-Armstrong develop more in the minors while keeping Canario on the roster for him to receive viable playing time. If he does, it won't surprise me when he breaks out.

5 Cubs candidates for RoY in ‘24 - 4. Jordan Wicks

Jordan Wicks is first on the list, entering his official rookie season with the Chicago Cubs. Last season, he tossed 33.1 innings and earned a 4.41 ERA. Although it does not look pretty, his small sample size was inflated drastically after his lone poor outing in which he gave up six runs to Milwaukee over 1.2 frames. Prior, he was sitting at an even 3.00. Most notably, he recorded three quality starts in September, proving he has the potential to flash top of the rotation stuff.

Although the Cubs’ roster is far from finalized this winter, Wicks is considered a starting rotation member. His excellent pitch mix can help him excel at the highest level. As we saw in his debut, when he fanned nine Pirates, when Wicks’ command is on point, he can carve up a lineup. He has a very high upside going into 2024. After adding Shota Imanaga, Wicks will likely have to earn the 5th starter spot in Spring Training over Javier Assad.

5 Cubs candidates for RoY in ‘24 - 3. Michael Busch

When you look at this profile, newly acquired slugger Michael Busch has all the offensive upside in the world. He did not shine in his first 72-at-bat stint in the majors. This may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, as the Los Angeles Dodgers may have opted to build more around him if he had high success in the majors last season. Still, watching a few highlights shows you immediately that this guy looks to be for real, and there's no reason to believe he won't be on the Opening Day roster.

In Triple-A last year, Busch's .323/.431/.618 slash line was elite. He has superb pitch recognition, draws a lot of walks, and so far hasn't had a terrible strikeout rate. Busch can fill a hole at either 1B or 3B, so he serves as the perfect addition that gives the Cubs the option to pursue another hitter in the lineup further. His ZiPS projects him for 22 HRs and 88 RBIs, including a 2.5 WAR. He certainly has 30+ home run upside, and given what figures to be a solid Cubs lineup, those numbers are surpassable depending on where he is in the lineup.

5 Cubs candidates for RoY in ‘24 - 2. Shota Imanaga

Freshly signed to the Chicago Cubs on a four-year deal, Shota Imanaga's pitch arsenal is a component of his game that can see him easily excel in the majors in 2024. He wouldn't be the first pitcher recently to come over for Japan and have a dominant year. Like Kodai Senga last season, who put up an impressive 2.98 ERA in his debut MLB season, Imanaga has seen a lot of success in Japan and will look for it to translate.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will draw all the attention, but Imanaga, too, will have quite the debut season. His riding fastball is beautiful, and he possesses three plus pitches. Given the Cubs' pitching infrastructure being what it is today, I wouldn't be surprised to see them tweak Imanaga's arsenal slightly, especially with pitch utilization rates.

The good thing about him using his fastball at north of a 50% clip is that with so much ride, a batter will know it's coming, but it still makes it so difficult to hit the ball. Imanaga has the filthy command needed to succeed in any league, and it will be interesting to see how he does in his first year.

5 Cubs candidates for RoY in ‘24 - 1. Pete Crow-Armstrong

Although we saw Pete Crow-Armstrong debut last season, we went hitless in 14 at-bats. Former manager David Ross didn't do him any favors by not giving him consistent playing time to get into a rhythm, but it was still quite clear that he was overmatched at the plate. All that figures to change in time, as Crow-Armstrong has excelled at every level once he's moved up and had time to adjust properly.

Given how much defensive WAR Crow-Armstrong can bring to the table alone, his ceiling is sky-high if he gets the bat going. Crow-Armstrong is the #12 prospect in all of baseball, and you don't get there by pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. Once he gets it going in the MLB, it will be hard to slow him down.

It's hard to envision him not being in the top 5-10 of rookies once he handles the bat better with the Cubs. His defensive floor is so high that once he starts swinging it, there's a chance he can be one of the best players in baseball.

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