Chicago Cubs: 5 bold predictions for the regular season

5 bold Cubs regular season predictions: #2 - Trey Mancini finds his power stroke, eclipses 30 home runs

When players perform poorly in spring training, fans tend to write it off. When players are locked in and doing damage, we're ready to throw longshot odds money down on him winning MVP.

The latter case applies to Trey Mancini's first spring training with the Cubs. The longtime Orioles fan favorite impressed, slashing .320/.364/.480 in Cactus League action, peppering the ball all over the diamond and showing off some power, as well.

Prior to his cancer diagnosis that cost him the 2020 season, Mancini put together a 35-home run season in 2019 with Baltimore - and from 2017 to 2022, he averaged 24 homers a year. So it's not that much of a stretch to think he could tap back into that power and get to the 30-homer mark. If he can, he'd be the first Cub to do so since Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber back in 2019.

The power Mancini has is exciting, sure, but his short-to-the-ball approach and seeming acceptance of taking what the defense gives him is the sort of old-school hitting I love to watch. Whether or not he breaks 30 homers or not, Mancini has a big role to play on the 2023 Cubs.