Chicago Cubs, White Sox land players on Bleacher Report MLB Top 50
Yu Darvish
In case you didn’t know this year, the Chicago Cubs recently picked up arguably the biggest free agent signing in baseball with Darvish.
And there are people, myself included, that think this move could make the Cubs’ rotation better than it was before with Jake Arrieta. A few 2018 projections seem to think so, at least.
"50. Yu Darvish, SP, Chicago Cubs 2017 WAR: 3.9 Yu Darvish was last seen giving up nearly as many runs (9) as he recorded outs (10) in the World Series. He otherwise put up a 3.86 ERA in 186.2 regular-season innings while carrying on as a well-above-average strikeout artist. The only thing that should be different in 2018 is his threads."
Of course, a fully-dominant Arrieta was one of the most impossible pitchers to touch in baseball over the past three seasons. Though Darvish has had great seasons before, he wasn’t quite on that level.
But assuming he stays healthy and doesn’t tip his pitches, Darvish offers a more consistent track record. That, and he brings a pretty ridiculous pitch arsenal to the fold.
If his pitches are as good as what the Chicago Cubs are suggesting at camp, good luck with that.
"(Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) Jose Abreu It doesn’t matter what side of town you’re on or who you’re a fan of: you have to respect what Abreu’s done in his first four seasons in the MLB. He’s almost the best player that no one ever talks about, but his consistency keeps him on the tip of everyone’s tongue just enough even though he plays for one of the more forgettable teams of the last few years. That said, his offensive excellence arguably still remains criminally underrated. In fact, he’s been so good offensively that it completely makes up for his subpar (yet improving defense). 40. Jose Abreu, 1B, Chicago White Sox 2017 WAR: 4.7 Jose Abreu didn’t just reverse his offensive decline in 2017. He also had his best season on the bases and in the field. According to James Fegan of The Athletic, Abreu is now in better shape and looking forward to being even more of a well-rounded player in 2018. Sold. He even had a higher WAR than his crosstown counterpart, though there are a number of reasons why he lands higher on Bleacher Report’s Top 50. Next: The good, old reliable one (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Anthony Rizzo The unofficial captain of the Chicago Cubs, Rizzo was the steadiest thing about this team in the years of famine before Kris Bryant and Co. showed up. And even with the Cubs back to winning again, he remains the mainstay of their lineup. 30. Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs 2017 WAR: 4.4 Look, it’s Anthony Rizzo. Everyone knows what that entails at this point. Based on the last four years, it’s an OPS around .900, roughly 30 homers and Gold Glove-caliber defense. Since he’s still only 28, he probably has at least four years just like it left in him. Last year represented a slight dip for Rizzo in terms of average and OPS, but he posted the same home run and RBI totals as he did in 2016. To the number. Also, though he fell off his Gold Glove caliber defense a little bit last year (-0.1 defensive WAR vs. -0.2 in 2016), you generally know you can count on Rizzo to make every play he’s supposed to make as well as a few that make you smile and shake your head. The Cubs couldn’t have ask for a better player to serve as the linchpin of their World Series-contending roster. Next: The MVP (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) Kris Bryant What did you expect? Bryant is simply one of the best players in baseball, and he’s hopefully about to hit a prime that will last a good 4-5 years. And boy, those could be some special times. Take what Bleacher Report says about his performance last season for some perspective. 7. Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs 2017 WAR: 6.1 It says a lot that Kris Bryant could put up a .946 OPS, 29 homers and 6.1 WAR in 2017 and come off as a disappointment. There’s nonetheless a ton to like about the 26-year-old’s all-around skill set. Despite last year’s offensive downturn, it bodes well that his walk and strikeout rates are trending in opposite directions. What’s funny about last season for Bryant is that while people weren’t enamored with him just hitting 29 home runs and knocking in 73 runs (he had 39 home runs and 102 RBI in his 2016 MVP season), he hardly struggled. In fact, he had a better average and a better OPS, largely thanks to a .409 OPB. His offensive WAR dropped 0.7 points to 5.9 from 6.7, but his defense didn’t suffer that much (2017 dWAR-0.4, 2016 dWAR 0.8). Next: Chicago Bears draft profile - LB Shaquem Griffin In short, he just wasn’t as dominant as he was the year before when he arguably may have been the best player in the league for the best team in the league. Chicago Cubs fans definitely shouldn’t lose any sleep over that. In fact, if he can do that in a “bad” year, just imagine what a run of “good” years will look like. His 2016 season could end up closer to the norm rather than the exception to the rule.40. Jose Abreu, 1B, Chicago White Sox 2017 WAR: 4.7 Jose Abreu didn’t just reverse his offensive decline in 2017. He also had his best season on the bases and in the field. According to James Fegan of The Athletic, Abreu is now in better shape and looking forward to being even more of a well-rounded player in 2018. Sold.30. Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs 2017 WAR: 4.4 Look, it’s Anthony Rizzo. Everyone knows what that entails at this point. Based on the last four years, it’s an OPS around .900, roughly 30 homers and Gold Glove-caliber defense. Since he’s still only 28, he probably has at least four years just like it left in him.2017 WAR: 6.1 It says a lot that Kris Bryant could put up a .946 OPS, 29 homers and 6.1 WAR in 2017 and come off as a disappointment. There’s nonetheless a ton to like about the 26-year-old’s all-around skill set. Despite last year’s offensive downturn, it bodes well that his walk and strikeout rates are trending in opposite directions."