There were more than a few disappointing performances in their lineup last year, which was a major reason why the team made the blockbuster acquisition of Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros over the winter.
The three-time All-Star right fielder has lived up to expectations, anchoring the lineup just as the front office hoped that he would.
Through 15 games, he has a .322/.452/.678 slash line with five home runs, six doubles and 16 RBI. His 221 OPS+ is the highest in the National League, along with the home runs and RBI, and he is leading all of baseball with 16 runs, 19 hits and 40 total bases.
Keeping him long-term is going to be an even bigger challenge now if he keeps up this level of production.
Overall, the Cubs have a healthy .250/.350/.413 slash line, averaging 6.4 runs per game. That is good for second most in baseball behind the New York Yankees, who are averaging 6.83 runs per game.
What is most exciting about this group is that not all of them are clicking on all cylinders out of the gate, hinting that there could be another level for the offense to be taken to.
One of the players who has struggled to start is star prospect Matt Shaw.
After dominating in the minor leagues, he was given the Opening Day job at third base following Isaac Paredes being inclusion in the trade package to acquire Tucker from the Astros.
Incredibly talented, Shaw proved ready when he produced a .298/.395/.534 slash line at Triple-A Iowa across 152 plate appearances with seven home runs, eight doubles, one triple and six stolen bases.
Unfortunately for Chicago, that production has not yet translated over to the Major Leagues.
But it is far too early to throw in the towel on him, as Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report noted in a recent piece highlighting areas of need that teams are going to need to address ahead of the trade deadline.
“The jury is still out on Matt Shaw as the primary third baseman for the Cubs, but he has at least been serviceable…And aside from that, Chicago’s lineup is in a pretty good place,” Miller wrote.
If the Cubs feel the need to make a change or give Shaw some time off to reset, they can turn to veteran Jon Berti or Rule 5 Draft pick Gage Workman to handle the hot corner for a period of time.
Shaw is far from the team’s biggest need to address, as their pitching depth has already been decimated.
If Chicago is going to remain atop the National League Central, where it currently resides, it will need to upgrade the pitching staff.
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