Chicago Cubs News: Cody Bellinger takes BP, Pitching velocity, and more

Cody Bellinger has been present at the Chicago Cubs Spring Training facility in Arizona for much of the past month and on Monday, Bellinger put on a power display during batting practice.

There is no doubt that the main reason why the Cubs targeted Bellinger this offseason was due to his elite ability to play the center field position. Bellinger's offensive skills have been on a consistent decline since he won the National League MVP Award in 2019. Bellinger has emphasized how healthy and free his body feels this offseason during his workouts and if that leads to an offensive resurgence, that would be good news for the Cubs.

In addition to Bellinger, Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis was also spotted at the team's Spring Training on Monday hitting home runs during batting practice.

Spring Training is right around the corner and seeing the likes of Bellinger and Davis at camp already should be an exciting sight for Cubs fans.

Chicago Cubs pitchers lacked elite velocity in 2022

The weakness of the Cubs' pitching staff in 2022 was they lacked velocity. The same can be said for the pitching staff as they head into the 2023 season. There certainly is going to be room for pitchers that can play to the advantage of the fielders behind them, but being able to throw the ball past a hitter still remains a huge asset.

Jazz Chisolm named MLB The Show 23 Cover Athlete

Chisolm certainly was an interesting choice for the cover. Chisolm was on the verge of breaking out during the 2022 season before an injury derailed his momentum. Chisholm has been a popular player for the younger audience that Major League Baseball is trying to appeal to. Along those lines, Cubs' top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong could be a future candidate to grace the cover in the years ahead.

New York Mets priming for run at Shohei Ohtani next offseason

Jon Heyman of the New York Post makes the connection between the New York Mets and Shohei Ohtani. Barring an unforeseen contract extension, Ohtani will undoubtedly be the top free agent on the market next offseason. It is worth remembering that the Cubs were one of the finalists to sign Ohtani but it remains unlikely that the team will be willing to set the market for a top free agent.

Chicago Cubs' prospect Owen Caissie on his offensive approach