Chicago Cubs: 5 Potential Breakout Candidates to Watch in Spring Training
It's no secret the Chicago Cubs are supposed to be much improved this season after a very busy offseason. It remains to be seen just how improved they are, but their roster from this year compared to last appears to be much stronger.
Fans know names like Jon Lester, Miguel Montero and Dexter Fowler, but there are other players waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves. Some of these players will try to impress in spring training. Here are five who could surprise people this March.
RHP Jacob Turner
1 of 5
Why he could break out
Jacob Turner is one of those pitchers who was the victim of bad luck a season ago. What bad luck in pitching terms means is that his ERA was higher than it should have been based on how many hard-hit balls he gave up.
2014 MLB stats:
| ERA (2014) | FIP (2014) | Differential (2014) |
| 6.13 | 4.16 | +1.97 |
Turner's ballooned 6.13 ERA last year looks really bad, but when it's broken down sabermetrically, it's revealed that he shouldn't have had such a high ERA. FIP is a stat that measures what a pitcher's ERA "should be."
Clearly, even if Turner had an ERA of 4.16, the Cubs would hope that that's not his ceiling, but he will be just 24 years old this season. With his large frame and promise, expect the Cubs to let pitching coach Chris Bosio try to work his magic on him this spring.
IF Tommy La Stella
2 of 5
Why he could break out
Tommy La Stella was acquired by the Cubs this offseason, and he figures to be a vital bench player this season. With Kris Bryant possibly coming up in late April, he may even get a chance at the starting third base job out of camp, even though he's a second baseman by trade.
What's to really like about La Stella is that he puts the bat on the ball. The Cubs also may believe a late-season slump with the Atlanta Braves last year made him look worse than he actually was.
2014 MLB stats:
| BA on July 29 | BA to end season | OBP on July 29 | OBP to end season |
| .296 | .251 | .371 | .328 |
It's pretty evident that La Stella fell off considerably in August and September. There are two theories as to why this happened. First, pitchers figured him out and he was unable to make adjustments. Second, he wore down toward the end of his first big league season.
If the first is true, he's going to have to show the ability to make adjustments this spring. If the second is true, he should now be more prepared for the grind of an entire season. While he may not hit near .300 for the Cubs, if he's a .285 bench hitter for them, the Cubs would be ecstatic.
LHP Eric Jokisch
3 of 5
Why he could break out
Eric Jokisch actually made four appearances for the Cubs last season, and he fared really well, posting a 1.88 ERA. In Triple-A last season, before earning the call-up, he was slightly less impressive, but he showed the ability to miss bats.
2014 Triple-A stats:
| W | L | ERA | WHIP | IP | Ks |
| 9 | 10 | 3.58 | 1.175 | 158.1 | 143 |
The 25-year-old is promising, to say the least. He appears to be a dark-horse candidate to snag the fifth starter spot if Travis Wood is traded before the spring. While he's unlikely to earn that job, he could contend for a long relief role.
Even if he doesn't claim a job out of spring training this season, he could stake his claim for future consideration in the bullpen or rotation. The fact that he's a lefty could really help.
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RHP C.J. Edwards
4 of 5
Why he could break out
Simply put, C.J. Edwards just needs to stay healthy. He hasn't been able to do that over a full season, but when he's played, he's been terrific. Staying healthy starts with adding to his lanky 6'2", 155-pound frame.
Should he stay healthy, Edwards has tremendous upside. He has the strikeout ability that would figure to make him a solid No. 3 starter at the big league level very soon. While he's unlikely to make the team out of spring, if he can impress, he could put the pressure on the front office to call him up midyear.
2014 Rookie Ball/Double-A stats:
| W | L | ERA | WHIP | IP | K |
| 1 | 2 | 2.35 | 1.062 | 53.2 | 54 |
MLB.com's scouting report attributed Edwards' success to keeping his fastball down in the zone:
"Edwards throws his fastball in the low-to-mid 90s, and it can touch 97 mph. He does a good job of keeping his fastball down in the zone, and he only gave up one home run in 116 1/3 innings in 2013.
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RHP Corey Black
5 of 5
Why he could break out
It turns out the Cubs actually got a pretty good piece back when they traded Alfonso Soriano to the New York Yankees, as they acquired pitcher Corey Black. He was a promising mid-level prospect then, but he seems to be near-major league-ready now.
Even though Black gives up a lot of baserunners (1.375 WHIP in 2014), he has shown the ability to pitch out of trouble, which is an essential skill at the big league level. The best pitchers in the league will pitch themselves into jams, but it's the ones who can pitch out of those jams who excel.
2014 Double-A stats:
| W | L | ERA | WHIP | IP | K |
| 6 | 7 | 3.47 | 1.375 | 124.1 | 119 |
Black is another pitching prospect that is highly unlikely to make the team out of camp, but if he pitches well, he could be on a short list of pitchers ready to get the call up if the injury bug strikes the major league squad.
MLB.com's scouting report asserts that Black has the staying power to stick in a rotation based on his solid repertoire of pitches:
"Black has more than enough pitches to remain in the rotation. His hard slider gives him a second swing-and-miss pitch, and his curveball made significant strides in 2013. Black's changeup has enough fade to keep hitters off balance.
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Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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