The Difference
There's one Cubs player I expect to have the greatest impact in 2023.
In an article on January 11, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo polled a group of baseball executives about the strongest farm systems around the league. What stood out to me was that the Cubs got the second-highest percentage of votes for having the most underrated minor league system in baseball.
Being underrated is part of a broader theme in the Cubs organization this year. This past weekend they held their first Cubs Convention in three years, an event that is both about honoring the team’s past (they bring back a large number of former players) but it’s probably more about looking ahead to what’s coming.
The Cubs have had one of the most underrated offseasons in baseball. Teams like the Mets have gotten a lot of attention for their spending, and the Carlos Correa saga attracted a great deal of attention. In the midst of all that, the Cubs have quietly been adding to their roster in a way that I expect will not remain unnoticed once the season begins.
They went 74-88 last year, their record propped up some by a strong second half finish, and it isn’t terribly common for teams to go from 14 games below .500 to very far above that mark.
But I think they are going to be capable of a turnaround. And I think there’s one player who could be one of the biggest reasons why. The Cubs signing of shortstop Dansby Swanson for seven years, $177 million has gotten a lot of justifiable attention, but flying under the radar is outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger on a one-year deal.
