Projected Chicago Cubs 26-man roster and ZiPS projections for 2022

There are some extra players in the mix to make it for the 2022 Chicago Cubs.

Position Players In The Mix

• Brennen Davis
• Greg Deichmann
• Clint Frazier
• Nelson Velazquez
• Alexander Canario
• Christopher Morel

With a strong minor league campaign in 2021, one that saw him playing across three levels, Brennen Davis could be close to making his Major League debut. The former second-round pick in 2018 hit .268 with a .933 OPS in 15 games at Triple-A Iowa to close out last season. He’s earned well-deserved recognition from MLB Pipeline, who has the outfielder ranked as the 14th best prospect in the game.

Pitchers In The Mix

• Justin Steele
• Brailyn Marquez
• Cory Abbott
• Tommy Nance
• Ethan Roberts
• Anderson Espinoza
• Caleb Kilian
• Mark Leiter Jr.

Kilian is a really intriguing player on this list and one that could be a regular at the big league level sooner rather than later. Acquired as part of the Kris Bryant trade with San Fransisco, the tall, lanky right-hander posted a 2.43 ERA in 11 starts with Double-A Richmond.

After the trade, Kilian spun a 4.02 ERA in four starts with Double-A Tennessee, with a combined 10.0 K/9 for the year. Unless he dominates the competition in Spring Training, if and when that begins, Kilian probably begins the year at Double-A, advancing to Triple-A Iowa not long after, if all goes well. That said, he could conceivably make his Major League debut in 2022 with the back end of the Cubs rotation in flux.

Justin Steele is another player who could have a big impact from either the bullpen or the rotation. The Lucedale, MS native appeared in 20 games last year, including nine starts, posting a 4.26 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 57.0 innings of work. Steele gave up 12 home runs and was shaky with his command, allowing 27 walks. He’ll need to fine-tune his command if he wants to stick at the big league level.