After another terrible finish in the NL Central the Chicago Cubs cleaned house and brought in Theo Epstein and Dale Sveum. This isn't a one season rebuilding process though, it will take a little time to turn the Cubs around into a contender. Let's have a look at the lineup they'll be sending out to the field this season. You can see where we think they will finish the season in our Chicago Cubs prophecies.
Projected Hitters
Geovany Soto (Catcher) - After winning the National League Rookie of the Season award in 2008, Soto has regressed and had a very poor season last season. He hit .285 with 23 home runs and 86 RBI in his rookie season, but last season he hit just .228 with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. His numbers need to boost big time if he would like to help the Cubs contend in the Central.
Bryan LaHair (First Base) - For the majority of his career, LaHair has lit it up basically in the minors. Now he is going to be given the opportunity to showcase his talent in the Major Leagues this year. Last year, LaHair had a minor league-best 38 homers and the Cubs are hoping that those power stats translate to the big leagues. Power-hitting prospect Anthony Rizzo is also in the running, should LaHair struggle.
Darwin Barney (Second Base) - Barney showed some of his potential as a rookie last season. He hit .276 with 23 doubles and 43 RBI. Barney needs to stake his claim as the future at 2nd base as the only other option is vet Jeff Baker.
Starlin Castro (Shortstop) - Starlin Castro is among the most promising guys in the organization. The young star will turn just 22 in March and already he has turned in 2 stellar years of play. He backed up his superb rookie year by batting .307 with 10 homers, 36 doubles, 9 triples and 66 RBI. As he continues to age, he has got the chance to actually be a great player.
Ian Stewart (Third Base) -Long time third baseman Aramis Ramirez left through free agency, so the Cubs were compelled to bring in Stewart to take over at third. Stewart is coming off a nasty 2011 year for the Colorado Rockies in which he batted just .156 in 48 games then was taken down to the minors, but he has put up solid numbers in the past. He hit 43 homers and drove in 131 runs combined in 2009 and 2010.
Alfonso Soriano (Left Field) - The Cubs were supposed to part tactics with Soriano this offseason, but as of now he's the Opening Day left fielder. Soriano still has decent power, as he belted 26 home runs and drove 88 runs last season, but he has been struggling to make contact on a regular basis. He is just averaging a measly .248 during the past 3 seasons.
Marlon Byrd (Center Field) - An unlucky accident forced him to miss a good bit of the year. He was hit in the face by a pitch, which resulted in him batting .276 with just 9 homers and 35 RBI. The previous All-Star is on a decrease, but he has 1 or 2 solid years left in the tank.
David DeJesus (Right Field) - Prior to last year, the right fielder has hit at or near .300 for the majority of his career, but DeJesus hit just .240 in 131 games with the Oakland A's in 2011. He will probably get a shot at opening the year as the leadoff hitter, but he doesn't precisely have The speed teams look for at the very top.
Projected Hitters
Geovany Soto (Catcher) - After winning the National League Rookie of the Season award in 2008, Soto has regressed and had a very poor season last season. He hit .285 with 23 home runs and 86 RBI in his rookie season, but last season he hit just .228 with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. His numbers need to boost big time if he would like to help the Cubs contend in the Central.
Bryan LaHair (First Base) - For the majority of his career, LaHair has lit it up basically in the minors. Now he is going to be given the opportunity to showcase his talent in the Major Leagues this year. Last year, LaHair had a minor league-best 38 homers and the Cubs are hoping that those power stats translate to the big leagues. Power-hitting prospect Anthony Rizzo is also in the running, should LaHair struggle.
Darwin Barney (Second Base) - Barney showed some of his potential as a rookie last season. He hit .276 with 23 doubles and 43 RBI. Barney needs to stake his claim as the future at 2nd base as the only other option is vet Jeff Baker.
Starlin Castro (Shortstop) - Starlin Castro is among the most promising guys in the organization. The young star will turn just 22 in March and already he has turned in 2 stellar years of play. He backed up his superb rookie year by batting .307 with 10 homers, 36 doubles, 9 triples and 66 RBI. As he continues to age, he has got the chance to actually be a great player.
Ian Stewart (Third Base) -Long time third baseman Aramis Ramirez left through free agency, so the Cubs were compelled to bring in Stewart to take over at third. Stewart is coming off a nasty 2011 year for the Colorado Rockies in which he batted just .156 in 48 games then was taken down to the minors, but he has put up solid numbers in the past. He hit 43 homers and drove in 131 runs combined in 2009 and 2010.
Alfonso Soriano (Left Field) - The Cubs were supposed to part tactics with Soriano this offseason, but as of now he's the Opening Day left fielder. Soriano still has decent power, as he belted 26 home runs and drove 88 runs last season, but he has been struggling to make contact on a regular basis. He is just averaging a measly .248 during the past 3 seasons.
Marlon Byrd (Center Field) - An unlucky accident forced him to miss a good bit of the year. He was hit in the face by a pitch, which resulted in him batting .276 with just 9 homers and 35 RBI. The previous All-Star is on a decrease, but he has 1 or 2 solid years left in the tank.
David DeJesus (Right Field) - Prior to last year, the right fielder has hit at or near .300 for the majority of his career, but DeJesus hit just .240 in 131 games with the Oakland A's in 2011. He will probably get a shot at opening the year as the leadoff hitter, but he doesn't precisely have The speed teams look for at the very top.
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