The Chicago Cubs will welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to the confines of Wrigley Field for the Dodger’s only time in Chicago and this will be the last time the Cubs and Dodgers play each other this season. The Cubs will be sending their Ace Shota Imanaga to the mound, who has been amazing this season and could be in the running for the Cy Young when it’s all said and done.
Given Justin Steele’s recent injury, Imanaga will be counted on more than ever to take down as many innings as possible. The Cubs have been utilizing Colin Rea to eat some of Steele’s innings, and he has done well in his last two starts for the Cubs. Overall, he has a 1.32 ERA for the season.
Since Rea was moved to the rotation, the Cubs added more pitching depth by trading for left-hander Drew Pomeranz
of the Seattle Mariners, who will give them another left-handed option for their bullpen. Outside of the pitching staff, the Cubs have seen their lineup be successful and stay healthy to begin the year, with Kyle Tucker leading the pact, as he looks like he’s already in MVP form.
Outside of Tucker, the Cubs have seen contributors from even guys on the bench who are showing up where it matters, which is the late innings. One Cubs bench bats, Gage Workman, has been better than expected and could be an even better offense player once he turns on the power.
The Chicago Cubs Rule 5 Draft pick
Workman has been one of the under-the-radar bats for the Cubs this season, with Tucker and Carson Kelly stealing the headlines with their hot months of April. The Cubs plucked Workman from the Detroit Tigers organization with their pick in the Rule 5 Draft this past offseason, and he’s looked like a great selection for Jed Hoyer and the Cubs scouting department.
The 25-year-old Workman is ranked as the Cub’s 29th overall prospect and is known for his fielding, having grades of 60/80 for his arm strength and 65/80 for his overall fielding ability. Workman is not known for his ability to put the ball in play but has big-time power, which is why the Cubs selected him with their pick, given they needed a power-hitting lefty off their bench.
Workman has looked better than advertised to start the year
Oddly enough, Workman has hit for average instead of power, as he hasn’t hit a home run yet in his eight games played. Overall, Workman is hitting .273/.333/.364 for an OPS of .697.
Workman has also shown up where it matters, which is in the clutch, and is hitting .333 in three at-bats between the eighth and ninth innings. Workman could see more opportunities in the later innings, as his playing time has increased since Matt Shaw was optioned to Triple-A.
If Workman starts turning on his power and continues to hit for average, he could be one of the better Rule 5 picks for the Cubs and be one of the key pieces that help them compete for a spot in the postseason.
A great find for the Cubs
If Workman can continue his success, it could help Hoyer’s case to keep his job, as his contract is up after this season. More moves will have to be made to build a World Series team but having Workman on the roster is a great foundation to start with.
It’s moves like scouting and finding a player like Workman to help a team fill out the edges of their roster and become a viable playoff team. It’s still the beginning of the season, but if Workman can continue his run of being at the very minimum a great defensive player off the bench and become that power bat the Cubs need, then the Cubs could go a long way.