Chicago Cubs: Can so-called stars finally step up?

Following a quiet offseason, the Chicago Cubs are banking on their championship pedigree to rebound from last year’s disappointing finish.

Will the real Chicago Cubs please stand up? Already, two seasons have passed since the organization won their first World Series championship in 108 years.

While two seasons of championship-less baseball seems like nothing to sweat over, considering the Cubs have still played competitively among their peers during that period, the reality is that this team was constructed to be a dynasty-in-the-making. Having a realistic shot to win multiple World Series titles with their young core of talented players. Rather than exiting the playoff party on the very first night because they can’t figure out how to score more than one run.

Assigning blame for the Cubs’ short, but unanticipated World Series drought can be placed on everyone inside the organization from top-to-bottom.

Theo Epstein has made some ill-advised decisions when it comes to adding and subtracting from the roster. Joe Maddon can’t come up with a lineup that keeps him at ease for more than one series at a time. The injury-bug keeps finding new ways to creep inside the Cubs’ clubhouse. Furthermore, another hitting coach gets removed following players’ regression at the plate.

These reoccurring organizational problems are becoming increasingly noticeable now because players on the roster ultimately are not living up to the hype. Core players from 2016: Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, Willson Contreras, and Addison Russell, have failed to play up to their all-star level billing since winning Game 7 against the Cleveland Indians.

Rather than find a creative way to free up more spending dollars in an attempt to land an impact free agent this offseason, Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer are instead hoping that their talented roster can maximize their production in a make-or-break season with jobs on the line.

The organization hopes that the team will avoid a similar injury-riddled season that hampered the performances of Kris Bryant, Brandon Morrow, and Yu Darvish, among others.

While injuries are unpredictable in baseball, what about players who aren’t fighting through hampering injuries? Anthony Rizzo, for instance: has been a multiple-time all-star first-baseman over the course of his career, yet seems to be regressing ever since his 2016 all-star season.

Over the past two seasons, Rizzo has been one of the healthiest players on the Cubs’ roster. He’s played in over 150 ballgames in both 2017 and 2018. Yet, his production hasn’t been as impressive as what it was during 2016’s championship run.

Rizzo’s WAR (Wins Above Replacement) has been in steady decline since 2016 when it was at 5.5. In 2017, his WAR lowered to 4.3, followed by 2.7 in 2018.

While Rizzo is still considered an impact player both offensively and defensively, he, unfortunately, has struggled to find his stride at the plate until June rolls around, (.231 BA in March/April/May over last two seasons), leaving his team suspect to having a slow start to the season.

Catcher, Willson Contreras is another player who struggled in 2018, especially in the second half of the season despite being healthy. His .279 batting average Pre All-Star Break was decent. But in the second half, he batted just .200.

Overall, based on name recognition on paper, the Cubs once again feature a team that is capable of winning another World Series. But simply having name recognition isn’t merely enough to get the job done. As the Cubs hopefully learned last season: every game matters. One unexpected win or loss can easily derail the team’s post-season chances.

The Cubs have never faced this much adversity before. How will they fare knowing that their manager’s fate with the organization is likely tied to their performance?

Hopefully, the players will be more motivated than ever before to play their hearts out with intense focus. If that happens, maybe the Cubs will have a few more all-stars playing well into October and early November.