Andrew Wright

The year 2020 was an absolute whirlwind in every aspect of life. The COVID-19 pandemic took away not only sports moments such as the NCAA Tournament and Opening Day of the MLB season, but lives were changed for the worse. The world became an uncertain and scary place for a while. They say nothing brings people together quite like sports do, and that is exactly what happened in the summer of the life-changing year that was 2020. Image courtesy of Justin Casterline/Getty Images The year 2020 was an absolute whirlwind in every aspect of life. The COVID-19 pandemic took away not only sports moments such as the NCAA Tournament and Opening Day of the MLB season, but lives were changed for the worse. The world became an uncertain and scary place for a while. They say nothing brings people together quite like sports do, and that is exactly what happened in the summer of the life-changing year that was 2020. The MLB season did not begin until July 24th, 2020, due to the ongoing pandemic. The return of sports to televisions around the world brought folks back together and took our minds off all the negatives around us, even if it was just for a couple of hours. The games did look weird though, as there were no fans in attendance. That, however, gave fans the chance to sit in the comfort of their own home and enjoy the natural sounds of the game. What veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks did that day gave us the best Opening Day in Chicago Cubs history. The Cubs welcomed in the division rival Milwaukee Brewers to Wrigley Field to begin the season. Hendricks was given the nod for Opening Day by first-year manager David Ross. Ross was extremely familiar with Hendricks, as the two were World Series champions together in 2016. Brandon Woodruff was tabbed as the Opening Day starter for Milwaukee by current Cubs manager Craig Counsell. After two-and-a-half scoreless innings, Ian Happ launched a 422-foot blast to center field to give the Cubs an early 2-0 lead. The home run for Happ was the second of his career on Opening Day, with the first coming in Miami in 2018, when he led off not only the Cubs vs. Marlins game, but the entire MLB season with a home run. Happ's blast would give Hendricks more than enough run support and the professor went to work. Hendricks threw a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits, walking none and striking out nine batters. All three hits allowed were singles and Milwaukee never took an at-bat with a runner in scoring position. Outside of his 2016 NLCS Game 6 start and his 81-pitch complete game shutout against the Cardinals, it was the most dominant start of Hendricks' career, and it got Chicago off to an excellent start to begin the season. Chicago would win the game 3-0 and off to the races they went, winning the division before losing a gut-wrenching playoff series to the Miami Marlins. That playoff series, along with that whole pandemic-fueled haze in real life, was extremely forgettable, but one thing many Cubs fans won't forget was the way they all came together that July day to watch one of the best pitchers in franchise history go to work on the mound and carve up a lineup like only he could. So, there you have it. The best Opening Day performances in Cubs history. Did we miss any notable ones? Let us know your thoughts down below! View full article

Number 1 may very well surprise you

The 2003 Chicago Cubs season is one that many fans have completely thrown away out of their minds and vowed never to speak of again. How the season ended for the Cubs was heartbreaking and devastating, to say the least. As bad and agonizing as the last game of the season was, the first game was a thrill and gave fans the hope that they held onto until the final out of Game 7 of the NLCS. The 2003 Chicago Cubs season is one that many fans have completely thrown away out of their minds and vowed never to speak of again. How the season ended for the Cubs was heartbreaking and devastating, to say the least. As bad and agonizing as the last game of the season was, the first game was a thrill and gave fans the hope that they held onto until the final out of Game 7 of the NLCS. The first game of the 2003 season saw the Cubs travel to Shea Stadium in New York for a matchup against the Mets. The pitching matchup was all-world: Kerry Wood vs. Tom Glavine. Two aces going at it in front of over 53,000 in attendance for Opening Day is what baseball is all about. Glavine was undoubtedly the story for the Mets that day, as he was blasted for five runs on eight hits and four walks and did not make it out of the fourth inning. The story for the Cubs, however, was not their starting pitcher. Their starting centerfielder, Corey Patterson, had quite the day. Patterson was making his second career Opening Day start, and it was a tough matchup against the left-hander Glavine. Patterson must've eaten his Wheaties that morning because he had one of the all-time best Opening Day performances for any team or player. He went 4-for-6 at the plate with two home runs, and seven runs driven in. All four of Patterson's hits came against a left-handed pitcher. He had two RBI singles against Glavine, and both homers came against Mets reliever Mike Bacsik. It was the second multi-home run game of Patterson's young career, and he would finish his career with six games with multiple homers, including another one against the Mets in 2005. The seven RBI were the most in any game of his career and it is still currently tied for an MLB record for the most in an Opening Day game. Patterson's career with the Cubs did not go quite the way many would've hoped, but we will always be able to look back on and remember the performance he had that day at Shea Stadium. View full article

The Cubs headed into the 2018 season with the sting of a 4-1 series loss to the Dodgers in the 2017 National League Championship Series fresh on their minds. In need of a true leadoff hitter for the season, manager Joe Maddon put Ian Happ in that role in spring training and Happ excelled, hitting seven home runs and taking the job and running away with it. The Cubs headed into the 2018 season with the sting of a 4-1 series loss to the Dodgers in the 2017 National League Championship Series fresh on their minds. In need of a true leadoff hitter for the season, manager Joe Maddon put Ian Happ in that role in spring training and Happ excelled, hitting seven home runs and taking the job and running away with it. Ian Happ stepped into the box against the Miami Marlins on Opening Day for not only both teams, but the entire MLB as a whole. At the time, Cubs-Marlins was the only game underway, and all baseball eyes were on it. What happened on the first pitch of the game sent excitement throughout the Marlins stadium (which was taken over by Cubs fans) and got the Cubs out to an early lead. A leadoff home run on the first pitch of the season was exactly what Chicago needed to wash off the bad mojo from the 2017 season and it got the team off and running. The most incredible part of it all may have been Cubs commentator Jim Deshaies calling Happ's homer, as you can hear in the video. Happ wasn't the only Cub to homer in the game, as Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber both added an Opening Day home run of their own. Rizzo's was especially special, as it came just months after the shooting at his high school alma matter, Stoneman Douglas High School. Rizzo dedicated the home run to the victims of the unfortunate tragedy. The Cubs jumped out to an early 4-1 lead after two innings but allowed Miami to tie it at 4-4 after the third inning. An RBI double from Willson Contreras gave the Cubs a 5-4 lead, Schwarber's homer made it 6-4, and a pinch-hit double from Tommy La Stella drove in two runs and gave Chicago an 8-4 cushion, with that ultimately being the final score. Happ in the leadoff position did not work out much after Opening Day, as his season average finished at .233, but he did give Cubs fans an Opening Day memory worth cherishing. Perhaps he can do the same in Tokyo this season? View full article

Opening Day games always have the potential to be a pitcher's duel between some of the game's best pitchers. That was the case on Opening Day in 1971 when Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Fergie Jenkins toed the rubber against each other. Image courtesy of John F. Jaqua/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images Opening Day games always have the potential to be a pitcher's duel between some of the game's best pitchers. That was the case on Opening Day in 1971 when Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Fergie Jenkins toed the rubber against each other. Cubs' right fielder Johnny Callison opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning with a double, driving in Hall of Fame third baseman Ron Santo. Eventual Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre would knot the game up at one in the seventh inning with a solo home run off Fergie Jenkins. Both teams would remain scoreless until the bottom of the 10th inning. That's when "slamming Billy Williams", another Hall of Famer (sensing a pattern here?), stepped into the box and sent Cubs fans home happy on Opening Day. Williams hammered a home run into the right field bleachers for a walk-off winner on Opening Day for Chicago. It was a home run that got Williams closer to his 2,000th hit, 300th homer and 1,000th RBI, all of which he accomplished in that 1971 season. He and Joey Votto are the only two players in MLB history to accomplish those feats in the same season. While a 2-1 game doesn't seem like it is all that out of the ordinary, the wild part is that both starting pitchers went the entirety of the game. Jenkins went 10 innings, allowing just one run on three hits and striking out seven. Bob Gibson went 9 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, walking four and striking out five. Jenkins is one of just three pitchers in Cubs history to have those stats on the mound in a game when pitching at least 10 innings. Another little nugget of information: The time of the game was just one hour and 58 minutes. The 1971 season would unfortunately end in a missed postseason for the Cubs, but the thrill of a pitcher's duel and walk-off home run on Opening Day made for a special start to the campaign. View full article

Drink it in, folks. Spring training baseball doesn't get any better than this. Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Drink it in, folks. Spring training baseball doesn't get any better than this. The early spring struggles of Kyle Tucker were starting to become a bit of a worry for some Cubs fans. Our very own Matt Trueblood dove deep into those struggles and found out that Tucker is usually quite good in Spring Training in his career and that has not yet been the case this year. Tucker, however, being the superstar he is, broke out of his slump in a mighty way on Sunday afternoon. Headed into Sunday, Kyle Tucker was 0-for-19 so far in the spring, He had made quite a few loud outs and sent balls to the warning track but hadn't quite gotten one to fall yet. That changed Sunday, in the Cubs game against the San Francisco Giants. Tucker got a 2-1 fastball, and he didn't miss it. Tucker launched both his first hit and home run in a Cubs uniform, much to the delight of Cubs fans. It was a much-needed swing for not only the fans, but also for the guy who was 0-for-20 in his first (pre)season with a new team. It surely lifted a huge weight off the shoulders of the superstar right fielder, even if he'll never say so, and it will now allow him to play freely for the rest of the spring, knowing he got that first hit out of the way. The homer would be Tucker's last at-bat of the game, as he was replaced by Kevin Alcántara. While we certainly can't be sure that Tucker is fully out of his mini-slump, the hope is that he will now really turn it on and perform like the MVP-caliber player he is. With the Tokyo Series just nine days away, Tucker and the rest of the team will certainly look to get and stay hot heading into the season opener. View full article

We are just 10 short days away from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs kicking off their two-game, season-opening series in Tokyo. When that does happen, though, it looks like the Cubs' ace will be ready. Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images We are just 10 short days away from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs kicking off their two-game, season-opening series in Tokyo. When that does happen, though, it looks like the Cubs' ace will be ready. Shota Imanaga will be looking to one-up himself this year, after a phenomenal rookie season. The left-hander went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA across 173 innings last year. He finished fifth in Cy Young voting and fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, and will now try and build on that—or at least maintain it. That won't be easy, as the league now has a full season's worth of film on him, and he will have to adjust to hitters adjusting to him. His 4.05 ERA in Spring Training may look bad on the surface and inspire some concern, but when diving deep into it, we see that it isn't anything to be concerned about. Imanaga gave up three runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings in his first start of the spring against the Giants. Two of those three runs came on a two-run home run from Casey Schmitt. There were two extremely positive things to take away from that first outing. First was the fact that six of the eight outs recorded by Imanaga were strikeouts. Even though he gave up the long ball, the strikeout stuff was still there. Secondly, he was extremely efficient, throwing 26 of his 33 pitches for strikes. Being in the zone that much means you are pitching to contact; hence the three hits given up. His second start of the spring was much better, as he went four shutout innings and allowed just two hits while striking out three batters. Admittedly, it was a Padres lineup that did not feature any of Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Luis Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill or Jake Cronenworth, so he was facing most of the San Diego reserves. Nonetheless, it was a major-league lineup with MLB-caliber players that he made quick and easy work of. Imanaga will likely make one more start during the spring, before getting the ball on Opening Day for Chicago. That last spring start will see him stretched out (maybe to five innings) in preparation for the season. If the Cubs can get the same type of season from him in 2025 as they did in 2024, Chicago may very well have its next ace, and their 1-2 punch (with Justin Steele) could be one of the best starting pitching duos in all of baseball. View full article

The entire offseason for the Chicago Cubs felt like it revolved around whether Nico Hoerner or Matt Shaw would be the starting second baseman on Opening Day. The trade rumors were swirling surrounding Hoerner, and we were all but certain that he would be moved. Now, it appears the status quo has won out. Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images The entire offseason for the Chicago Cubs felt like it revolved around whether Nico Hoerner or Matt Shaw would be the starting second baseman on Opening Day. The trade rumors were swirling surrounding Hoerner, and we were all but certain that he would be moved. Now, it appears the status quo has won out. Note that we're operating under the assumption in this piece that Matt Shaw will not be making the trip to Japan. If he's healthy, he'll certainly be the starter at second base. With news that Nico Hoerner will not be making the trip overseas and will stay back in the states and continue to work his way back from injury and prepare for Chicago's first road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, that begs the question of: who in the world is going to play second on Opening Day? Well, quite frankly, nobody really knows, and we won't know until the end of Spring Training. Chicago has quite a few options in what it could possibly do, and the rest of the spring will reveal that. Here are all of manager Craig Counsell's assumed options: Gage Workman, Jon Berti, James Triantos, Nicky Lopez (NRI) Those four are more than likely going to be competing for the second and third base positions come Opening Day. They also are probably all competing for the opening at third base as well, and the top-two performers will see the majority of the playing time over the two games in Japan. As to what can be expected from each, let's dig into it. Berti is the veteran of the group, as 2025 will mark his eighth season in the MLB. He is a career .259 hitter, and he is hoping to spend more time on the field this season than he did in 2024, when he appeared in just 25 games for the New York Yankees. Berti has played every position on the diamond except for pitcher and catcher, and his versatility was a big part of the reason he earned a one-year, $3 million contract from Chicago in the offseason. He would bring the most experience to a position that will see a lot of action in Tokyo when ground-ball pitchers Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele toe the rubber. Workman was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Cubs and must remain on the 26-man roster or else he will be returned to his previous team (assuming the Detroit Tigers want him back). He started Spring Training with a bang, going 3-for-5 with a home run in his first two games. He has kept that pace up, with a 1.059 OPS through 23 at-bats as of March 4. Of all the options available, he is currently the most likely to play third base instead of second, as third is his natural position, but the possibility of Justin Turner playing third base could mean Workman starts the year on the bench. Triantos' spring is off to a middling start. He is 3-for-15 at the plate with three RBIs and his OPS sits at just .502, quite a bit below his career average of .766 in the minor leagues. He is the No. 73 ranked prospect in MLB.com's rankings, and his MLB debut feels imminent. He will need to increase his production the rest of the way in the spring and if he does, we could very well see him take his first big league at-bats against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the middle of March. Lopez is a local kid that is a fun story for Cubs fans and he's easy to root for. He is an NRI (non-roster invite) and is certainly making the most of it, as he is 9-for-18 in Spring Training with an OPS of 1.202. It would certainly be hard for Lopez to replicate those numbers for the rest of the spring, but if he does, the choice for second base will not be a hard one to make at all. The one downside to losing Hoerner for a couple games is losing his Gold Glove caliber defense. None of the four guys are that quality of a defender at any position, and that may be costly in a couple of close games. Chicago should be able to manage the two-game series in Tokyo and then be at full strength with Hoerner and Shaw when the team travels to Arizona to fully kick off its 2025 season. View full article

Chicago Cubs fans have been awaiting a superstar-caliber player to insert into the lineup and potentially help put them over the top. The offseason gave them just that as they acquired right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. Tucker will now be the everyday right fielder and headline one of the most stacked positions in the game. Image courtesy of © Erik Williams-Imagn Images Chicago Cubs fans have been awaiting a superstar-caliber player to insert into the lineup and potentially help put them over the top. The offseason gave them just that as they acquired right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. Tucker will now be the everyday right fielder and headline one of the most stacked positions in the game. Kyle Tucker is, in no uncertain terms, the superstar that the Cubs have needed. In just 78 games in 2024, Tucker hit 23 home runs and drove in 49 runs. He finished with a .993 OPS, which would have been first among right fielders if Tucker had enough at-bats to qualify. He will now head into 2025 fully healthy and hoping to replicate what he did in 2024 over a full season. Seiya Suzuki has served as Chicago's primary right fielder over the past three seasons. Bad defense and an injury in 2024 saw Suzuki serve as the DH when he returned to the lineup, as Cody Bellinger slid over to play right field for the remainder of the season following the emergence of Pete Crow-Armstrong (a vastly superior defender to Suzuki) in center. The Cubs were eighth among MLB teams in 2024 in Wins Above Average (0.7) from the right fielders, while the Astros ranked second. That included statistics from Suzuki, Bellinger, Mike Tauchman, Kevin Alcantara, Alexander Canario, Patrick Wisdom and Miles Mastrobuoni. Of course, only Suzuki and Alcántara remain from that group in 2025, though Tucker should help stabilize the turnover at the position. Defensively, Tucker ranked sixth among right fielders in defensive runs saved (DRS) with seven in just 592 innings played. Meanwhile, Suzuki was No. 20 on the list with just three total runs saved. As such, Tucker will be both an offensive and defensive upgrade in right field for the Cubs in 2025. Suzuki will still get his fair share of games in right field when Tucker needs a day off his feet. Along with Suzuki, there is the potential for Alcántara to spend time in right field if he is able to crack the Opening Day roster — and even if he doesn't, he'll serve as the next-man up while gathering more seasoning at Triple-A. As long as both are fully healthy, the split in games between Suzuki and Tucker in right field should be somewhere in the 120/40 range, with Tucker getting the majority of the playing time. If all goes well and Tucker is able to replicate what he did in his limited playing time in 2024, he'll be on the brink of a very large payday in the offseason. At that point, the Cubs would need to do whatever it took to bring him back to Chicago for the 2026 season and beyond. View full article

Did you know a jaguar's roar is called a "saw", because it sounds like the bite and sing of a blade through wood? Pretty soon, we're going to need a similarly evocative new name for the sound of the bite and sing of The Jaguar's bat through the baseball. Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Did you know a jaguar's roar is called a "saw", because it sounds like the bite and sing of a blade through wood? Pretty soon, we're going to need a similarly evocative new name for the sound of the bite and sing of The Jaguar's bat through the baseball. Kevin Alcántara made his MLB debut in 2024, but he collected just one hit in 10 at-bats. Spring training 2025 has been a much different story. In 11 at-bats so far this spring, Alcántara boasts a .545 batting average, with an OPS of 1.272 and four runs driven in. He has collected not only a hit, but also an RBI, in every single game. He's been everywhere, with two doubles, a stolen base, and four runs scored. A hot week in the desert won't be enough to knock down the door to the big leagues. The Cubs have a loaded outfield at the major-league level, with Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker. Seiya Suzuki is technically the "fourth outfielder"; he will serve as the primary DH. Alcántara won't be placed on the roster to begin the season as a mere supplement to them; the reps he can get in Iowa are much more valuable to the team. Nonetheless, this laser show has been eye-opening. Alcántara took a high, two-strike fastball all the way to the right field fence in Monday's game against the Padres, with an exit velocity of 104.4 miles per hour. He hasn't come by his results cheaply, and if he keeps this up all spring, he'll force the issue for the team sooner than expected. MnJWTVBfWGw0TUFRPT1fQVFKVVZBSU1WRlFBRFZCVFZ3QUFWd0JXQUZnSEFWQUFVd1lGQWxVQVZ3VlJBVlpU.mp4 That still won't mean bringing him along to Tokyo for the season-opening series against the Dodgers. As the hype builds, though, so will the pressure to find a way to fit him into the roster picture soon. These aren't quite true big-league reps, but it can only benefit Alcántara to stay with the parent club and continue to build confidence in this preseason setting. Sometime this season, he'll return to the majors, and the Cubs need him to be ready. If he can do anything like what we've seen so far, he could have a transformational impact on the team's playoff odds. View full article

Miguel Amaya has reverse splits, so he is going to play against righties and Carson Kelly kills left-handed pitching so he will play against lefties. PCA needs to play every day to get as much experience and exposure as possible. Jon Berti should never be the leadoff hitter on a team trying to compete for and win a division title.

Signing the hirsute veteran makes all the Cubs' likely combinations of positions and batting order slots a bit more appealing. How often will he play, though—and where will he best bolster the existing lineup? Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Signing the hirsute veteran makes all the Cubs' likely combinations of positions and batting order slots a bit more appealing. How often will he play, though—and where will he best bolster the existing lineup? In response to losing out in the Alex Bregman sweepstakes, the Chicago Cubs signed Justin Turner to a one-year deal worth $6 million this week. It's expected that Turner will serve as the backup first baseman to Michael Busch, and may also get some occasional starts as the Cubs DH. With Turner presumably backing up Busch at first, it may turn into a platoon situation in which Busch plays against right-handed pitching and Turner plays against lefties. If that is the case, here is a look at what both of those starting lineups could look like for the Cubs. VS. RHP Ian Happ - LF Michael Busch - 1B Seiya Suzuki - DH Kyle Tucker - RF Dansby Swanson - SS Nico Hoerner - 2B Pete Crow-Armstrong - CF Matt Shaw - 3B Miguel Amaya - C The order of the players could be switched around in any variation that manager Craig Counsell thinks will work for his team, but those are the nine players who are expected to be in the lineup most days when facing a right-hander. The lineup against a lefty will look a bit different, VS. LHP Nico Hoerner - 2B Ian Happ - LF Seiya Suzuki - DH Kyle Tucker - RF Justin Turner - 1B Dansby Swanson - SS Pete Crow-Armstrong - CF Matt Shaw - 3B Carson Kelly - C Once again, the order of those nine can be switched around and maneuvered any different way you'd like, but the depth of the lineup with it being arranged the way it is looks extremely promising. Turner and Kelly are the two primary players expected to join the lineup against southpaws. Yes, we all want to see Michael Busch get an opportunity to play against left-handers sometimes, but it will be hard to keep Turner's career .275 average against lefties out of the mix. The most likely outcome for both Busch and Turner to be in the lineup together would be when Tucker or Happ needs a day off. That would see Suzuki going to the outfield, Turner at DH and Busch playing first base. That could happen against either a right-hander or a left-hander. Besides playing first base against a lefty, Turner will be Counsell's go-to pinch hitter late in games. Whether that be for Busch or even PCA, he will see plenty of pinch-hit appearances throughout the season. He is certainly no longer in his prime, but Turner is still a good baseball player, and he may very well help the 2025 Chicago Cubs get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020. View full article

For the first time since 2011, the Chicago Cubs will begin their season without a member of the 2016 World Series team on the Opening Day roster. Thus, this spring will mark a transition to a new era. As we venture into it, let's check in on the whereabouts of the Curse-breaker diaspora. Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images For the first time since 2011, the Chicago Cubs will begin their season without a member of the 2016 World Series team on the Opening Day roster. Thus, this spring will mark a transition to a new era. As we venture into it, let's check in on the whereabouts of the Curse-breaker diaspora. AL East: Aroldis Chapman (BOS), Rob Zastryzny (NYY) Chapman has bounced around MLB the last two seasons, spending time with the Royals and Rangers in 2023 and the Pirates in 2024. He signed a one-year deal worth $10.75 million with the Red Sox this offseason and will join the seventh team of his MLB career. Zastryzny was the last hope, in a way, having been claimed on waivers after a meander through a few other rosters—up until last week, when he was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees. There was never really a world where Zastryzny would make the Opening Day roster, so it was good to see him go try and earn an opportunity elsewhere, AL Central: Javier Báez (DET) The downfall of Báez since his arrival in Detroit has been upsetting for most Cubs fans, who remember the electric player he was in his time in a Cubs uniform. His energy and charisma are unmatched. Hopefully (though not probably), he will be able to turn it around in 2025 and have a solid season. AL West: Kyle Hendricks (LAA), Jorge Soler (LAA) Hendricks was the last remaining member of the World Series roster to spend time with the Chicago. A rough stretch over the last few years made it easy to move on and allow him to seek out other opportunities, in hopes of finishing his career on the right note. Soler has done quite a bit over his career, including winning the 2021 World Series MVP with the team who plays in suburban Cobb County, Ga. A solid season in Anaheim will make him a prime trade candidate come late July (for about the hundredth time). NL East: Kyle Schwarber (PHI), Albert Almora Jr. (MIA) Schwarber has long been considered the "one that got away" from Chicago. He's been phenomenal since leaving, with his blend of power and patience adding up to make him one of the best leadoff men in baseball. Almora has not seen a pitch in the majors since 2022, but he will have an opportunity to change that, after signing with the Miami Marlins on a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. A good spring for Almora could see him make the Opening Day roster for a very bad Marlins team. NL Central: Willson Contreras (STL) Contreras will begin his third season in St. Louis in 2025, and it will come at a new position. After years of frustration with his defense, the Cardinals have decided to move Contreras to first base full-time. There have been trade talks surrounding Contreras his entire Cardinals career, so a solid season and a down year for St. Louis may mean they will look to move off of Contreras's contract. For that matter, they offered him that chance in the fall, but he elected to stay put for now. NL West: Kris Bryant (COL), Jason Heyward (SDP) Much like Báez, Bryant's time with his new team has been extremely unfortunate. Bryant has appeared in just 159 of a possible 486 games in his Rockies career. When he is on the field, he's not producing, finishing with batting averages of .233 and .218 in the last two seasons. Heyward, on the other hand, has bounced around a bit the last couple years, spending time with the Dodgers and Astros before signing with San Diego just last week. Heyward is certainly nearing the end of his career, and a good season with San Diego may see him call it a career after the season. A bad season might take the choice out of his hands. Free Agents: Anthony Rizzo Rizzo is still looking for a place to call home in 2025, and here's to hoping he finds one and rejuvenates his career after an injury-riddled stint with the Yankees. Most of the rest of the team (David Ross, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Jason Hammel, Pedro Strop, Ben Zobrist, Chris Coghlan, Dexter Fowler, Miguel Montero and more) are now retired. It's a stark reminder: that season was a long time ago, already. The Cubs haven't mounted any serious threat to return to the Fall Classic since 2017. Maybe this season will change that. View full article

With a strong top half of the lineup set and a veteran pitching staff reinforced with better depth, the 2025 Cubs have undeniable upside—more than they've had in years. Much of that rising hope, however, rests on the high-stakes bet the team has semi-accidentally placed on their rookie third baseman. Image courtesy of © Cody Scanlan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / © Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK With a strong top half of the lineup set and a veteran pitching staff reinforced with better depth, the 2025 Cubs have undeniable upside—more than they've had in years. Much of that rising hope, however, rests on the high-stakes bet the team has semi-accidentally placed on their rookie third baseman. Yes, it may seem like a lot to put the team's success on the back of Matt Shaw, a player who will probably make his MLB debut in just over a month, but he is a bit of an outlier. The hype around Shaw's emergence is extremely real, and the expectations will be higher than normal for the beginning of an MLB career. To understand why, it's important to remember that Shaw is a career .303 hitter in the minor leagues, with an OBP of .384 and a .522 slugging average. Shaw has socked 29 home runs in 693 plate appearances across all minor-league levels. In his 2024 season, he hit 21 homers, stole 31 bases and played solid defense around the infield, with over 550 innings at third base and over 200 apiece at each middle-infield spot. He also dominated the Premier12 tournament as a member of Team USA this fall, with a 1.206 OPS in nine games. That he went there instead of creating a more traditional showcase for himself in the Arizona Fall League is a testament to his willingness to get out of his comfort zone, and he drew rave reviews for his eagerness to soak up new information during the one-month international sojourn. Since the departure of Kris Bryant (and even prior thereto, at times), Chicago has struggled with production from third basemen. Just think about some names that have spent time at the hot corner since 2020: Isaac Paredes, Patrick Wisdom, Christopher Morel, Nick Madrigal, David Bote, Jonathan Villar, and many more. It's a position that has lacked productivity and stability, and Shaw will have the opportunity to provide for 2025 and beyond. With moves made throughout the offseason, the Cubs signaled that they believed in Shaw and his ability to produce right away in the big leagues. They dealt Paredes, and were ready to trade Nico Hoerner in response to the possibility of signing Alex Bregman—although that would have been fueled as much by financial constraints as by faith in their top prospect. The signs have been out in the open air all offseason. Shaw will be on the big-league roster fairly soon, if not right away, and he's expected to be a major contributor to the 2025 Chicago Cubs. Though the need for big adjustments looms, Shaw does have two-way upside. He might be a sufficiently adroit hitter to be above-average at the plate right away, and he might just be an above-average third baseman, despite only moving to that position in earnest last year. With the Cubs trying to get to the 90-win mark for the first time since 2018, Shaw's production will be enormously important. If the top prospect in the Chicago system can put together a solid rookie season, we may very well be watching playoff baseball at Wrigley Field for the first time in what has felt like forever. View full article