Cubs Season Outlook

Coming off of a disappointing 83-78 season, the Cubs look ready to bounce back under lightened expectations.

The biggest off season acquisition will never hit the field for Chicago this year. His job is to make sure the Cubs lineup hits whenever they take the field. Hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillio comes from Texas where he worked with hitters for 14 years. He turned out 17 Silver Sluggers during that stint and consistently produced top of the league lineups. Jaramillio has already tweaked several Cubs' stances with Ryan Theriot seeming to benefit the most early on. If Rudy can fix left fielder Alfonso Soriano and get him back to what he once was, the Cubs can expect a lot more production than last year.

Also look for a youth insurgence this season. Outfielder and 2006 first-round draft pick, Tyler Colvin, made the squad this spring with an outstanding Spring Training when he hit .468. He is a left-handed bat with speed that the Cubs have longed for. It is also only a matter of time before 20-year-old shortstop Starlin Castro bumps Theriot over to second and starts saving the Cubs runs. My peer hit .429 this Spring and solidified his status as a top prospect. Theriot does a solid job on the balls he gets to but has limited range, especially compared to Castro. Castro-Theriot-Lee sure would sound good coming from Pat Hughes' mouth this summer.

Geovany Soto dropped a Pussycat Doll this offseason (ok it was only 40 pounds, but close) and is expected to perform at his 2008 Rookie of the Year level.

Pitching wise the bullpen features three rookies, including setup man Esmailin Caridad. The diminutive Dominican throws gas and will compliment Carlos Marmol who enters his first full season at the position he was made for, closer.

Expect the Cubs to thrive on solid pitching and an improved offense this year as they go down to the wire with the Cards for the NL Central crown.

Projected Finish: 91-71, NL Wild Card winner