Chicago Cubs Summer Check Up


Chicago Cubs

40-27 (2nd in NL Central)



Eye Popping Number

35.4

The Chicago Cubs are one of the most innovative teams in baseball when it comes to defensive strategies. Joe Maddon is always at the forefront of shifts and other positioning (like moving first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, in a position that gives him second base qualifications for fantasy purposes), and that has given the Cubs the highest defensive runs saved in the Majors this season. There are four players on the team that have played at least 3 positions. That kind of versatility has allowed Maddon to put out a bunch of different line ups and still put out quality offense and defense.

Biggest Surprise

There aren’t a ton of surprises on a team full of established stars, but Albert Almora has begun to come into his own both as a hitter and a defender this season. He’s hitting .321 this season, and already about to top a career high in hits, doubles, and walks. On top of that, he’s playing elite level defense in center field, he’s currently ranked 4th of all the center fielders in baseball with 4.3 runs saved, and popping up on Sports Center Top 10 almost every day. In Maddon’s revolving door of players playing different positions, Almora has solidified himself as his go to centerfielder.

Player to Watch

On May 6th, Jason Heyward went on the disabled list after getting a concussion. At the time he had a .227 batting average and a .656 on base plus slugging percentage (the MLB average .721). He came off the DL on May 18th, and since that date he’s hitting .318 with and OPS of .858. Ever since signing his mega deal to join the Cubs, Heyward has struggled to find his bat that has always been hyped since being a top prospect, but it looks like he’s finally found it. Add that on top to his gold glove level defense in both center and right field, and if he keeps this up for more than a month, he’ll start being worth his giant contract.

What to Watch for at the Deadline

The Cubs have made move after move to try and upgrade their starting pitching rotation over the past couple of years, trading for Jose Quintana and signing Yu Darvish, but they’re still looking for upgrades. Cole Hamels (Texas) will obviously be their number one target, but they’ll probably be outbid for his services. Someone like Tyson Ross (San Diego) would be more in their price range or someone even cheaper like Trevor Cahill (Oakland) would help them try and pass the Milwaukee Brewers in the division and give them another starter come playoff time.

*All stats as of 6/17 via fangraphs.com and baseball-reference.com


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