Spring Training is over and Opening Day is TODAY! The Chicago Cubs play baseball against the Miami Marlins and the final result will actually count.
Before first pitch gets underway, let’s look at the three things we learned over the last month that we didn’t know for certain when camp opened back in mid-February.
1-EVERYBODY IS IN ONE PIECE
Thank God.
You don’t have to look too hard to find teams that have been bitten hard by the injury bug already. Justin Turner got his wrist busted and is out until at least mid-May. Madison Baumgarner took a line drive off his hand and won’t be able to resume baseball activities for 4-6 weeks, and his rotation mate Jeff Samardzija will also start the season on the DL. Salvador Perez injured himself carrying luggage up a flight of stairs.
The Cubs have made it through Arizona without a single player headed to the disabled list. Pedro Strop was the only question mark in the health department with a bum calf, but after three scoreless innings he appears ready to rock. A healthy Cubs team=A dangerous Cubs team.
2-A Lead Off Hitter Has Emerged
This has been the biggest question regarding the Cubs offense ever since Dexter Fowler left town. The issue, to be quite honest, has been a bit overblown. The Cubs finished 4th in the Major Leagues in runs scored last season despite their carousel of unsuccessful leadoff hitters.
Still, Theo and Jed talked this offseason about how the offense, while successful, went through too many dry spells in the regular season for their liking, and the team’s inconsistent offensive approach reared its ugly head in the NLCS.
Ian Happ went full-on scorched earth from the leadoff spot this Spring, leading the team with an OPS of 1.211. He tied for the league lead in home runs with seven, five of which came in the first at-bat of the game. Ian Happ impressed a lot of people in the organization last year, but come playoff time he could hardly get on the field. Happ is ready to impress again, this time from the very first pitch. Literally.
3-In The Battle For Outfield Playing Time, Albert Almora Is At The Bottom Of The 4 Player Totem Pole
Ian Happ’s Spring surge is bound to have somebody on the outside looking in for playing time, and for now that is Albert Almora. Especially since Happ’s future as a part-time infielder for this team looks bleak.
Kyle Schwarber tore up Spring training in his new, slimmed down body and Jason Heyward is still owed over $125MM over the next six seasons. The corners are occupied.
Both batters have struggled against left-handed pitching, and in Heyward’s case the struggles are expected to continue, so that will give Almora some time either in a corner or in center with Happ shifting over. Also, only once has a player not named Rizzo or Bryant made more than 142 starts during Joe Maddon’s Cubs tenure, which means Happ will be on the bench at least 20 times this season (and it’ll likely be more than that). It’s not like Almora’s playing time will resemble Tommy Lastella’s.
However, Maddon’s got to find some time for Zobrist in the outfield too and as much as fans want to see Heyward spend more time on the pine this season, Maddon still highly values his leadership, defense and baserunning.
Heyward could lose more and more playing time throughout the season if he continues to not hit, but his defense is still soooo good that Almora will have to improve, mightily, against right-handed pitching to earn some of Heyward’s playing time.
Last season, Heyward’s wRC+ (a popular league-wide metric where ‘100’ is league average) was 94 vs righties in 360 plate appearances, Almora’s was only 81 in 198 plate appearances. Heyward’s OPS against righties was .23 points higher and his OBP was .47 points higher. Almora had a rough spring and it will probably take an injury to get him in the lineup against righties on a regular basis.
For now, Almora’s playing time may come sparingly. These things tend to work themselves out, though, if Almora performs well in the time he is given he will earn more at-bats over time. The outfield rotation is definitely subject to change.
But now, it’s time to say goodbye to Spring and hello to that sweet Miami summer. Let’s go Cubs.
Here is your #OpeningDay #Cubs lineup!
Game preview: https://t.co/7v3r0mdhyw #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/NdKfyKUuru
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 29, 2018
