Five Hot Hitters for the Chicago Cubs This Spring
Though they say that stats don’t matter in spring training, it’s hard to ignore when guys put up monster numbers. While the Cubs offense has been headlined by one name in particular so far this spring, there are several other guys performing well and, in some cases, making strong cases for the roles they hope to play on the team in the 2021 season.
Here are five of the hottest hitters for the Chicago Cubs so far this spring. All stats are prior to the start of games on Wednesday, 3/17.
Joc Pederson, OF
The biggest free agent signing by the Cubs this offseason, Pederson has come out strong so far this spring. Prior to the start of Wednesday’s games Pederson ranks at the top of all of baseball in several main offensive categories including AVG (.500, 12-for-24), HR (5), and OPS (1.780). Joc bet on himself this offseason by signing a one-year deal with the Cubs, hoping that the ability to play everyday will help his case in free agency next year. If he is able to continue this hot stretch into the regular season and improve his numbers against left-handed pitching, that bet could very well work out in his favor.
Nico Hoerner, IF
Nico was absolutely on fire out the gate as he went 7-for-8 in his first three spring games. While he has cooled off a bit he still owns an extremely strong .500/.550/.833 slash line over 20 plate appearances with 3 2B, 4 RBI, and 2 SB. Hoerner is one of the favorites to land the starting second base gig, and while his great start in spring training helps solidify his case he does still have competition from guys like Ildemaro Vargas (who we’ll discuss in a moment) and David Bote.
Ildemaro Vargas, IF
The Cubs picked Vargas up off of waivers from the Minnesota Twins last September, and did alright in a bench role posting a .778 OPS. He’s coming out strong so far this spring with a .375/.400/.583 slash line, 9 H (1 HR), and 5 RBI in 25 plate appearances over 10 games. Vargas seems to be in line to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster as a bench option at the very least, but it’s possible that he gets a healthy share of starts at second base depending on how well everyone is playing.
Ian Miller, OF
While it’s highly unlikely that Miller will break camp with the team, but he is making a strong case for himself with the solid spring he is having thus far. Though he has had just 13 plate appearances, he is making the absolute most of them with a .429 AVG (3-for-7), a .636 OBP (thanks to 2 BB and 2 HBP), and he has tacked on 4 SB as well to lead the team in that category. Miller raked last year in spring training as well before the shutdown, posting a .371/.450/.457 slash line with 13 H, 10 R, 8 SB, and 6 RBI in 20 games. He could end up carving a role on the bench as a speed threat — defensive replacement type late in games to produce extra runs if things pan out for him, but it does not seem likely that he’ll get to do that starting on Opening Day.
Anthony Rizzo, 1B
Rounding out the group is the anchor of the Cubs lineup since joining the major league squad back in 2012. Rizzo is currently slashing .316/.458/.632 through 8 games so far this spring, and has gone 6-for-19 with 2 HR and 5 RBI. Though his roster spot is not in question by any means, it’s nice to see him put up some nice stats in spring since he does traditionally get off to slow starts — he is a career .241 hitter in the month of April, his lowest monthly AVG. Hopefully he is able to carry this performance through the rest of spring training and into the regular season to turn that tide around.
Stay tuned to Wrigley Rapport here and on social media for future news and notes as we lead up to the 2021 season.
