Following an 83-79 last season, the 2024 Chicago Cubs look to win the National League Central and make the playoffs for the first time since the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.
Where were they in 2023?
The Cubs made a nine-win improvement from 2022 to 2023, after signing some top free agents. Shortstop Dansby Swanson signed a seven-year, $177 million contract, and he paid dividends. His 4.9 fWAR was tied for fourth-most among shortstops — only behind Corey Seager, Francisco Lindor and Bobby Witt Jr. Most of Swanson’s value came on the defensive side of the ball, as he won his second consecutive Gold Glove Award.
Following a few disappointing seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cody Bellinger signed a one-year, $17.5 million prove it deal with Chicago before the 2023 campaign. The change of scenery paid off. Bellinger batted .307 and slashed 26 home runs in his first season in Chicago. Bellinger put together the best season since his 2019 MVP campaign and won the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Other key contributors:
Starting pitcher Justin Steele, second baseman Nico Hoerner, outfielder Seiya Suzuki and closer Adbert Alzolay broke out during the 2023 campaign. In his second full season starting, Steele made his first All-Star appearance. He established career highs in starts (30) and innings pitched (173.1) while having a career-best 3.06 ERA. Steele earned fifth place in NL Cy Young voting and has cemented himself as one of baseball’s top starters.
Similar to Swanson, Hoerner provides elite defense in the infield. Hoerner earned his first Gold Glove in 2023 — directly next to Swanson. 2023 was the first time in Cubs history that the middle infield won Gold Gloves in the same season. While Hoerner doesn’t provide much power in the lineup, he slots well into the top of the Cubs’ order as one of MLB’s top contact hitters.
In his second MLB season, Suzuki became one of the Cubs’ most consistent hitters. He hit 20 home runs and was 24 percent better than the average MLB slugger. As the year progressed, Suzuki got even better. In the final two months of the season, Suzuki posted a 183 wRC+ — third-highest in MLB. Former MVP Mookie Betts and 40 home run hitter Marcell Ozuna were the only hitters ahead of him during that stretch. Suzuki will be an important piece for a potential NL Central title run.
In his first full season as the Cubs’ closer, Alzolay put together his best season as a big leaguer. He stepped into the closer role in early May and accumulated 22 saves during the campaign. Nearing the trade deadline, there were conversations about whether the Cubs should add pieces or gear up for 2024. The team responded with an eight-game win streak, and Alzolay was right in the middle of the team’s success. He added five saves from July 21 to July 28. He will be an important member of the team’s bullpen in late-game situations.
Key Additions and Subtractions:
One of last season’s key contributors, starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, opted out of the final year of his contract this offseason. Stroman earned his second All-Star appearance after throwing 25 starts and 136.2 innings. In the first half of 2023, Stroman was in the NL Cy Young conversation. His season peaked on June 20, when he threw seven scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which lowered his ERA to 2.28. Ultimately, Stroman was hurt and struggled to end the season strong.
Eight MLB teams announced new managerial hires for the 2024 season. The Cubs were one of them. The Cubs announced longtime Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell as the new manager, while former skipper David Ross was still under contract. Counsell signed a record-breaking five-year, $40 million deal to sign in Chicago on Nov. 6 — five days after his contract in Milwaukee expired. Counsell had spent the previous nine seasons with the Brewers, where he set the all-time wins (707) for a manager and led the team to five playoff appearances.
Following a long, treacherous offseason, the Cubs re-signed Bellinger to a three-year, $80 million deal, which included opt-outs after the first two seasons. The top bat on the roster last season, getting Bellinger back at Wrigley Field was the No. 1 move for the 2024 Chicago Cubs.
Chicago signed Japanese starting pitcher Shōta Imanaga to a four-year, $53 million contract, which could extend to five years and $80 million. An eight-year veteran in the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball), he has a career 2.96 ERA and 9.4K/9 in his professional career. He will make his MLB debut at Wrigley Field on April 1.
Relief pitcher Hector Neris signed a one-year, $9 million deal with the Cubs. A 10-year MLB veteran, Neris spent the last two seasons pitching with the Houston Astros. He was dominant in 2023. Neris appeared in 71 games for Houston last season, converted two saves and pitched to a 1.71 ERA. While he mostly pitched in the seventh and eighth innings last season, Neris has closing experience. He spent his first eight seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he converted 25+ saves in two seasons. Alzolay is the team’s closer, but Neris can step in if things go south.
Depth Chart:
Starting Rotation: Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Jordan Wicks, Imanaga, Javier Assad
Bullpen: Drew Smyly, Alzolay, Neris, Mark Leiter Jr., Julian Merryweather, Yency Almonte, Jose Cuas, Luke Little
Lineup: LF Ian Happ, RF Suzuki, 1B Bellinger, 3B Christopher Morel, SS Swanson, DH Michael Busch, 2B Hoerner, CF Mike Tauchman, C Yan Gomes,
Bench: C Miguel Amaya, IF Nick Madrigal, INF/OF Miles Mastrobouni, 1B/OF Garrett Cooper,
Injured List: SP Jameson Taillon, INF/OF Patrick Wisdom, SP Caleb Killian
Where Do They Plan To Go:
Chicago is deemed one of the favorites to win the NL Central in 2024. The team has improved and nearly made the playoffs last season. One of the more competitive divisions in baseball, the Cubs are one of three teams thought to have a strong chance to win the division. Altogether, the 2024 Chicago Cubs should be competing for the division from Game 1 to Game 162.
Win Projection: 83.5 wins (FanDuel)
NL Central Odds: +185 (DraftKings), +200 (FanDuel)
World Series Odds: +2800 (DraftKings)
TL//DR: 2024 Chicago Cubs Preview
Click here for more MLB content.
Subscribe to Fantom Sports on YouTube!
Follow Fantom Sports on Twitch!