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3 breakout candidates for the Chicago Cubs 2022 season

By Jordan Campbell

Jul 21, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) is congratulated by teammates after scoring during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 21, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) is congratulated by teammates after scoring during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Chicago Cubs, Jed Hoyer
Chicago Cubs Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, now would be the time that the focus shifts to the upcoming Chicago Cubs regular season. However, Major League Baseball has locked out the Major League Baseball players as the league negotiates a new collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball’s Players Association.

The expectation is that the start of the regular season will be delayed but there has been no timetable set.

The 2022 season is believed to be a transition year for the Cubs. After trading the likes of Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez at the Major League Baseball trade deadline last season, it was clear that the Cubs have officially turned the page from the core that was responsible for the team winning the World Series in 2016.

The questions becomes what are the Cubs transitioning to. Are the Cubs planning for a full rebuild that will take a couple seasons to complete, or will the team use this season as a year to retool before returning to contention in 2022.

If the Chicago Cubs are going to contend in 2022, they will need a breakout performance from one of their young players.

Prior to the lockout beginning in December, the Cubs provided some insight in regards to the direction that they want to take. On the day prior to the lockout starting, the Cubs’ signed veteran starting pitcher Marcus Stroman to a three-year contract worth $71 million. The third year of the deal is a player option but, in any event, the Cubs would not have spent that amount of money if they were about to enter a full rebuild. Instead, it would appear that the Cubs are planning on contending again much sooner than originally anticipated.

If that is the plan, there is no question that the Cubs will need to be active once free agency resumes after the lockout but the team will also need improvement among the players currently on their roster. There are three players in particular that could be in line for a breakout season.

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