With MLB Opening Day only 26 days away and spring training games starting up, baseball season is right around the corner. Over the next month, we will preview all 30 MLB teams for the 2020 season leading up to Opening Day on March 26th. Next up, the Chicago Cubs 2020 preview. Check out the preview for the Boston Red Sox here.
The Chicago Cubs finished 84-78 in 2019 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Cubs subsequently fired manager Joe Maddon and replaced him with former catcher David Ross. Ross was a part of the 2016 World Series Champion Cubs and already has strong relationships with many of the current players.
The 2020 NL Central will be one of the most hotly contested divisions in baseball, with the Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers all vying for the division crown. The Cubs must remain all in to have a shot at regaining the NL Central title in 2020.
Kris Bryant has heard his name in trade rumors all offseason and that will likely continue into the regular season. Bryant lost a grievance against the Cubs in the offseason claiming that the Cubs manipulated his service time to gain an extra year of team control. Bryant’s trade value skyrocketed with the extra team control, making a trade more likely at the trade deadline or next offseason.
While uncertainty surrounds Bryant’s future, he remains an elite player on the field. Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and Willson Contreras form a talented and deep lineup that can match up with any in the National League. Nico Hoerner, a former top prospect, will step into the everyday second base role in 2020 and be expected to produce after getting a taste of the bigs last season.
In the bullpen, the Cubs lost three pitchers that appeared in 50 or more games in 2019 and will be looking to new signing Jeremy Jeffress to bounce back after a tough 2019 with the Brewers. Craig Kimbrel will have a full spring training under his belt after signing late and struggling at times last season. A consistent Kimbrel will go a long way for the Cubs playoff chances.
The starting rotation saw Cole Hamels depart, leaving swingman Tyler Chatwood to fill the final spot on the rotation. Adbert Alzolay, the Cubs fifth-best prospect will compete with Chatwood in Spring Training for the spot, but Alzolay struggled in limited action last season. Jose Quintana and Jon Lester will be looking to bounce back after subpar 2019 season’s for both of them.
The Cubs have all of the pieces to compete for a playoff spot in 2020. An experienced lineup that closely resembles the one that broke the Curse of the Billy Goat in 2016. A more consistent bullpen and more of the same from their star hitters could have the Cubs challenging for a National League pennant in 2020.
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