A Student of the Game: How Chicago Cubs' Madrigal Learned to Play Third Base
Nick Madrigal has his hands full in his second full season with the Chicago Cubs. Not only is he looking to bounce back from a down year at the plate, but now he has to do it while learning a new position.
With the addition of Dansby Swanson during the offseason and Nico Hoerner moving to second base, Madrigal is without a place to play.
Cubs manager David Ross approached the young infielder about the prospect of moving to the hot corner, which Madrigal jumped at without hesitation.
'Whatever it takes," he said. "I immediately wanted to get on the field to take some (grounders)."
The former fourth overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft had never played at the hot corner throughout his baseball career. Given the modern technology today, Madrigal immediately went to YouTube to study Major League third basemen.
It became a nightly ritual to study his new position.
"Within the first month, every night before bed, I would watch third basemen plays to see the angles," Madrigal explained. "Overall, it's been pretty good. I haven't got a ton of balls, a handful of plays here and there, but overall, it's going pretty smooth."
Madrigal was not gradually introduced to the position.
In his first spring training game at third base, the first two batted balls went right to him. This past weekend, he made a couple of great plays, removing all doubts about his arm strength.
The position switch is just the latest test in which Madrigal is proving a lot of people wrong. Yes, it's MLB Spring Training, but there's no denying how hard he's worked to make it a smooth transition. And the results are showing.
Being smaller in stature, the mindset of silencing his doubters has been something he's carried with him since high school.
"Through the college recruitment process, a lot of people doubted me and my style of play," he said. "I've always put the ball in play, run hard, and take the extra base. I've always stuck to that. It's gotten me to this point, so I feel like I can help the team in a lot of different ways."
The third base competition has been a hot topic during the spring. A plethora of players are capable of playing the position. Including Madrigal, Patrick Wisdom, Edwin Rios, and Christopher Morel, all of whom are vying for time.
This year's roster will prove more versatile than in recent seasons, which offers a ton of flexibility for manager David Ross in constructing his lineup.
Ultimately, though, it will come down to performance on the field.
Madrigal hit just .249 through an injury-plagued 2022 season. He'll hope for good health and look to duplicate his 2021 season, one that saw him hit .305 in 55 games with the Chicago White Sox prior to being shut down for the season.
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