Article: Oh, To Be Thankful For Cubs Baseball

[Brandon Glick]

It's that time of year, folks. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, let's look at the Cubs and discuss what we must be thankful for as fans. 

The Gold Glove Middle Infield
Nico Hoerner was drafted in the first round by the Cubs in 2018, making it to the big leagues just a year later for a cup of coffee in 2019. It took a few seasons after that, but in 2022, Hoerner established himself as a star up the middle, owning both second base and shortstop in his first full season in Chicago. 

Rumors spread last offseason that the Cubs wanted one of the "big four" star shortstops to pair with Nico, and on December 21, 2022, Dansby Swanson inked the second biggest contract in Cubs history. Nico moved on to second base full-time and eventually signed a three-year extension of his own. Thus began an era of defensive dominance in the middle of the infield at Wrigley, with 2023 merely the first course in what should be a long and satisfying meal. 

Hoerner and Swanson had solid seasons at the plate this past season, with Nico posting a .729 OPS and Swanson earning his second career All-Star appearance. Though both could improve their offensive contributions, their combined gold glove defense should make for many highlights - and smaller ERAs for Cubs' pitchers - in the coming years.  

At Long Last, Homegrown Pitching
Unless you just became a fan after Theo Epstein left the front office, you know that the Cubs have struggled to draft and develop pitchers internally for a long time (and even that's an understatement). However, over the last few years, the Cubs have fortified and heavily invested in their pitching infrastructure, and their labor is starting to bear fruit. 

Plenty of relievers have quickly ascended through the Cubs' farm system, with young studs like Daniel Palencia and Adbert Alzolay converting from starting to become lockdown bullpen arms. The well is far from running dry on this front as Bailey Horn, Luke Little, Zac Leigh, and others try to establish themselves in the Wrigley Field home pen. 

Of course, the true gains have come from the starters, as Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad, Cade Horton, and lower-level prospects are all in or knocking down the door to the major leagues. Justin Steele is the obvious poster child for this new era of successful homegrown pitching, though how much depth the Cubs have will also depend on how capable they are in developing the arms they traded for. Ben Brown, Hayden Wesneski, and Caleb Killian are the top names that come to mind, and if any of them should succeed, it'll be another win for the player development staff on the Cubs. 

The Farm System is Replete with Talent
Many years ago, the Cubs stocked their farm system with a bevy of talented young hitters. As the core came up together and the farm system was depleted even more through trades, the Cubs tumbled down aggregate prospect ranking lists. Now, some four-plus years after Jed Hoyer took command of the front office, the Cubs are back on top of the farm system rankings. 

Unlike a decade ago, the team hasn't loaded up on any one strength in particular. Now, there's depth at every position, and different prospects offer different skill sets. Need big power? Alexander Canario is waiting for his chance at the big league level. How about a stud defender in the middle of the outfield? Pete Crow-Armstrong is ready to roll. The Cubs system finally has everything from pitchers to utility men to first base/designated hitter types. 

Now, what the Cubs decide to do with this enviable prospect depth is up to them. Plenty of them will be used as trade ammunition as the Cubs hunt down star talent, and even more will be maintained as organizational depth should an injury arise or the team need a jolt of youthful energy. Regardless of the final destination for each of these prospects, however, the Cubs are facing a good problem to have. 

The Promise of Tomorrow
Cubs fans are no strangers to "lean" seasons. Without earning it, you don't get saddled with the "lovable losers" moniker. The last few years pale compared to some of the worst in the franchise's history, though the rough patch has been difficult to bear after the first stretch of real success, the team has seen in a very long time. 

"There's always next season" was a phrase that fans used to display their hope when things seemed like they would never get better. It was a beacon of light for a franchise trapped in eternal darkness. Well over a half-decade after ending the most prolonged championship drought in professional sports history, the Cubs' future is as bright as ever. 

There's money to spend, prospects funneling through the pipeline, and changes being made to the sport of baseball that keep it all fresh. Maybe Shohei Ohtani will be donning Cubbie blue next year, or maybe a reunion with the beloved Cody Bellinger will launch the Cubs in the championship hunt. Whatever happens over the rest of the offseason, it's an excellent time to be a Cubs fan. If nothing else, it's easy to be thankful for that. 

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[CubUgly]

Even in the worst of times I'm thankful to be a Cub fan.  I still look forward to my two annual trips to Wrigley each year with as much anticipation as almost anything I will do and thankful to have a forum to discuss Cubs baseball here with Cub fantatics just like myself.