Chicago Cubs News: The birth of a superstar in Christopher Morel

Chicago Cubs super-utility player Christopher Morel hit his 13th home run of the season on Sunday during the Cubs' 6-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. For Morel, he now has 13 home runs in his first 31 games played this season and that is a mark that puts him in the same category as Cubs' legends such as Sammy Sosa.

What Morel has done this season is nothing short of remarkable. Through his first 120 plate appearances this season, Morel is slashing .291/.342/.700 while registering a wRC+ of 174. After his hot start to the season and consequent struggles, the fact that Morel has made the adjustment back to Major League pitchers has sparked conversations about what his true potential may be.

Given the success that he has had, it should be worth questioning if Cubs fans are witnessing the birth of a superstar in Morel. That is why it was no surprise to see Cubs' manager David Ross compare Morel to a previous superstar for the team in shortstop Javier Baez.

"“There’s energy, there’s lightning,” Ross said. “There’s a lot of reminders of Javy.”"

- Patrick Mooney via The Athletic

For a team that has been in desperate need of an impact hitter in the middle of their lineup, the Cubs certainly may have struck gold with the development of Morel. And, while there is still work to be done, Morel's strikeout percentage on the season is under 30%. If Morel has identified which pitches to attack and then when he makes the decision to attach, he is seeing results, that is all the Cubs have been asking for since they made the decision to have him start the season in Triple-A Iowa.

Morel's emergence also comes at an important time as the Cubs are likely beginning their game plan for the Major League Baseball trade deadline. If the Cubs feel that Morel has turned the corner for good, then it is possible that the team will gear toward acquiring pitching at the deadline as opposed to an impact hitter.

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