{"id":2350,"date":"2015-08-15T08:00:20","date_gmt":"2015-08-15T13:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/?p=2350"},"modified":"2019-10-08T13:37:20","modified_gmt":"2019-10-08T18:37:20","slug":"chicago-cubs-is-this-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbanmatter.com\/chicago\/chicago-cubs-is-this-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Cubs: Is This the Year?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Will it be this year? History says no, but the eye test says maybe. The Cubs have 5 players who might push them over the hump, whether it be this year or next. Let\u2019s take a look:<\/p>\n

Kyle Schwarber<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a small sample size, sure. But Kyle Schwarber looks like the real deal.<\/p>\n

Schwarber is now hitting .330\/.420\/.621 in 103 at-bats with eight home runs and 13 extra-base hits. The Cubs are 17-8 and averaging 5.1 runs per game when he takes the field.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to remember that this kid was still in college a bit over a year ago. Even so, it\u2019ll be interesting to see how the league adjusts to him and if he can figure it out. For now though, he\u2019s dominating.<\/p>\n

Plus, he looks like he has a good head on his shoulders. Take a look at this quote from the other night:<\/p>\n

“I’m trying to keep my head buried and not even look at it. Once you start pressing and doing things you can’t control, that’s where I’ll start getting into slumps.”<\/p>\n

He\u2019s right.<\/p>\n

Anthony Rizzo<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rizzo\u2019s steady bat has remained a stabilizing presence in the Cubs lineup. Plus, he makes some pretty stellar catches<\/a>. More good news: he\u2019s only 26, and the Cubs have him locked up until at least 2019.<\/p>\n

His life hasn\u2019t always been easy, battling against Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma that he was diagnosed with in 2008. For the all-star first baseman though, this is all in the rear view mirror.<\/p>\n

Oh, and speaking of his spectacular catch, check out 10 incredible catches the Cubs have made this season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kris Bryant<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prior to the 2015 season, Bryant was named the #1 prospect in America by Baseball America. There was plenty of hype surrounding his call up to the big leagues, and so far he\u2019s lived up to expectations. After his 0-4 debut, he got off to a hot start with .318 average, .455 on-base percentage, 10 walks, and 10 RBIs in April. He has since cooled off, but his hot start was still enough to fuel an All-Star game appearance. Bryant continues to stretch his ongoing record for most HRs by a Cubs rookie, and his 66 RBIs lead all rookies.<\/p>\n

Addison Russell<\/strong><\/p>\n

We mentioned that Bryant was the #1 prospect, and Russell was #3 on the same list. At only 21 years old, the future is looking mightily bright for the youngster (He was born in 1994, how crazy is that?).<\/p>\n

He wears number 22 like Mark Prior, another highly touted prospect (who didn\u2019t quite pan out unfortunately).<\/p>\n

Jake Arrieta<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019re looking at a legitimate Cy Young candidate here, folks. Arrieta\u2019s stats are absolutely phenomenal this year: a 13-6 record, 2.38 ERA, 158 strikeouts, and .99 WHIP. He\u2019s ranked in the top 5 of the NL in 5 major pitching categories. Those are some video game numbers right there.<\/p>\n

The 29-year-old has been phenomenal since joining the Cubs in 2013, and with an annual salary of right around $3.5 million per year, he\u2019s an absolutely bargain for this level of production.<\/p>\n

Before you start huffing and puffing about your favorite player not being on the list, We’d like to take a second to acknowledge that there are many other contributors on the Cubs who have made an impact. We agree, but these guys are the future.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s to the Cubbies, may they win it all this year. The good news, they\u2019ll be a team to watch in 2016 and beyond at the very least. Progress is progress, however small it may be.<\/p>\n

Looking for more baseball coverage? Check out the 20 People You’ll See at the Crosstown Classic<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Will it be this year? History says no, but the eye test says maybe. The Cubs have 5 players who might push them over the hump, whether it…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2279,"featured_media":2351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,755],"tags":[861,863,855,553,597,860,862,864,153],"class_list":["post-2350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-category-popular","category-category-things-to-do","tag-addison-russell","tag-anthony-rizzo","tag-baseball","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-cubs","tag-jake-arrieta","tag-kris-bryant","tag-kyle-schwarber","tag-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nChicago Cubs: Is This the Year? | UrbanMatter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"History says no, but the eye test says maybe. The Cubs have 5 players who might push them over the hump, whether it be this year or next. 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