Ian Happ is forcing the Cubs’ hand
Ian Happ’s stellar play this spring could force the Cubs to find a place for him on the big league roster.
Chicago Cubs top prospect Ian Happ is hitting .452 with a .469 OBP and .839 slugging percentage in 30 at-bats this spring. In those 30 at-bats, Happ has 14 hits, three of which are home runs, with the latest one coming on Tuesday against the Padres.
Coming into this spring, the Cubs knew that they had something special in Happ. The switch-hitting second baseman by trade recorded a slash line of .279/.365/.445 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI’s over two different minor league levels in 2016.
Hitting will never be a problem for Ian, but finding a position at the major league level could prove to be difficult.
For now, the Cubs have a switch-hitting second baseman in Ben Zobrist. Zobrist served as the Cubs super-utility player in 2016 as he played right field and left field in addition to his normal second base position. This will prove to be damaging to Happ who has cleaned up his defensive work of late and seems to be making the most of spring training.
In a recent article by Tony Andracki for CSNChicago, Ian Happ was quoted saying, “There’s no room for spots on this team. I didn’t come in trying to win anything. I’m here to learn. I’m trying to be a sponge and soak up as much as I can from those guys.”
It’s good to know that Ian is trying to learn as much from guys like Ben Zobrist because he is one of the best switch-hitting players in the game of baseball.
There is no doubt that Ian Happ is stuck behind some serious major league talent. Even when Ben Zobrist becomes a free agent in 2020, Javier Baez will more than likely be the next in line to claim the second base position. Even if Happ is still with the team in 2020, Baez would remain the better option defensively.
Right now, Ian Happ is considered one of the best prospects in baseball. His stock will only continue to rise the more he hits in spring training and the regular season. With only 65 games under his belt at Double-A, he will likely start the season there but be moved to Triple-A at some point in the season. If he continues to see the ball well, the Cubs may decide to start him out at Triple-A to test the 22-year-old.
The hand writing is on the wall for Ian Happ. A trade seems very likely at this point, but anything can happen between now and the trade deadline.
For more on how Ian Happ fits in with the Cubs click here.
Daniel Shepard is a diehard Cubs fan from North Carolina. He truly is Cubs Crazy.
