Chicago Cubs: 3 benefits of 60-game season over other teams
DH ruling
As mentioned earlier, teams will be allowed to have a designated hitter bat in the pitchers spot. While this certainly will make any pitcher’s job a lot tougher, given that position players are generally more reliable hitters than pitchers, this also serves as another important advantage to the Cubs moving forward.
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In previous seasons, the Cubs would have so many quality hitters on their roster sitting on the bench, waiting for pinch hit opportunities as their only chance to get in the game. This was a big reason why players like Ian Happ, David Bote, and Kyle Schwarber among others struggled to get into any sort of good rhythm offensively without consistent playing time.
Now, with the DH rule, the organization can give out plenty of at-bats to players who wouldn’t normally start, only enhancing player development.
It’s been no secret that in years past, Theo Epstein and company would purposely send down a talented player such as Ian Happ to the minors in order for him to get more at-bats to further his development as a reliable hitter. That’s been the price the Cubs have had to pay for many seasons because of all the talented players on their roster simply not receiving enough playing time to go around.
That won’t hardly be the case anymore though. In turn, expect a player or two from the Cubs to really break out of their shell this season.