Promising Cubs Hitter Has Most To Prove at Spring Training

The Chicago Cubs have a new manager and a holdover player that has a lot to prove to him this spring.

There are plenty of Chicago Cubs that have something to prove the next several weeks of spring training in Mesa, Ariz. It’s that time of year.

But determining who has the most to prove is an interesting question, especially when there is a new manager in Craig Counsell. Plenty of players are under contract but there are only 26 Opening Day roster spots.

But it isn’t always about proving roster worthiness. Sometimes it’s about proving where you should play.

Recently, MLB.com determined which player for each team had the most to prove in spring training. For the Cubs, the clear choice was Christopher Morel.

Morel has a promising bat. In just two seasons he’s slashed .241/.311/.471/.781 with 42 home runs and 117 RBI. Last season he hit 26 home runs and drove in 70 runs.

He has the kind of bat any team would want in the lineup. The Cubs are determined to get him in the lineup.

Where exactly to play him in the field is another matter.

Morel can play in the outfield and in the infield. His natural position is center field, but the Cubs’ top prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, plays the position and is one of the best defensive outfield prospects in the game. In 2022 he won a minor league Gold Glove. Morel is a solid outfielder. Crow-Armstrong has the ability to be elite.

Last year Morel logged time at third base in an effort to get him in the lineup. His .967 fielding percentage was his worst at any position in the Majors.

Hence the Cubs’ desire to move Morel to first base this offseason. Or at least that was the plan. Now, according to Counsell, the Cubs want to allow Morel to get more playing time at third base.

That’s because the Cubs have another potentially elite young hitter in Michael Busch who could end up as their starting first baseman.

So, who both Counsell and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer are preaching versatility when it comes to Morel. It’s possible he could become a super-utility player.

It’s also possible he could see the bulk of his time where he saw it last season — designated hitter.

The Cubs need Morel’s power. Now he had to prove where he fits on the field. That makes this an important spring for the young Cub.