Cubs News: Looking at the first starting lineup of 2023

The Chicago Cubs are getting ready to play their first game of the season on Thursday. They are going to be taking on the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field to get things started.

That is always an exciting way to get things going as one of their biggest rivals pays a visit right off the bat.

The starting lineup for the first game this year came out and it is filled with some excitement but also a bit of concern.

It could be a group that overachieves in 2023 but they need literally everything to go right if they are going to compete for the postseason.

The 2023 Opening Day lineup for the Chicago Cubs has been released.

The Cubs are going to be leading things off with Nico Hoerner who is transitioning to second base. That should be a really solid move as the reason he is moving to second is to make room at shortstop for Dansby Swanson who happens to bat next in the two-hole.

Ian Happ, following an amazing 2022 season on a personal level, is batting third to round out a really nice top three for the North Siders.

At spot number four is where things get weird for the Cubs. Cody Bellinger is going to make his Cubs debut in that spot. He has been awful in the last few years but is looking to regain that MVP form that he once had.

Trey Mancini is going to bat fifth and hopes that he can carry that magic he had in spring training with him into this season. He has been a great player in the past and is hoping to be that again.

Yan Gomes is going to catch for the Cubs and bat sixth. Obviously, this is the first year without Willson Contreras in a very long time.

Eric Hosmer will bat seventh, Patrick Wisdom is going eighth, and Miles Mastrobuoni is hitting ninth to round out the group. Obviously, those are some pretty suspect hitters we don’t know how the year is going to go for them.

This group doesn’t include Seiya Suzuki or Nick Madrigal who figure to play some games this year. Obviously, in Suzuki’s case, adding him back when he is healthy will be a big boost.

This is an improved group from a year ago but there are still plenty of question marks. However, it is nice to have baseball back and fans will be excited to get back to the ballpark and watch this team play.