Astros vs. Cubs : A showcase of young talent.
Baseball has always lent itself well to the theater of the imagination. Long before fantasy baseball leagues became prevalent, the sport’s enthusiasts would make their who’s-better/who’sbest arguments while concocting all sorts of dream lineups.
Consider, for example, the abundance of exceptional young talent that will be at Minute Maid Park this weekend when the Chicago Cubs visit the Astros for a three-game series pitting the NL’s best team and an AL wild-card contender. Then ask yourself: Would there be a way to get them all in one batting order?
Thanks to the positional versatility of some of these players, it could be done. And it just might enhance your appreciation for what you have the chance to see this weekend when the Cubs, who used to be NL Central rivals to the Astros, make what now is in theory an every-six-year visit for an interleague series.
Since Houston is now an American League city, we’ll allow for a designated hitter in presenting the ultimate 27-and-under Astros/Cubs lineup:
1. George Springer, CF
Since moving to the leadoff spot in May, Springer, who turns 27 this month, has taken nicely to the role. He has led off seven games with homers while hitting 26 in all and through Wednesday was tied for fourth in the majors with 105 runs. And thanks to his becoming the first Astro with an 80-walk season since Lance Berkman in 2009, Springer has a healthy .361 on-base percentage. His play in right field has been exemplary, but on this dream team, it makes more sense to put him in center, where his future might ultimately lie anyway.
2. Kris Bryant, RF
An August that earned him his first Player of the Month award has propelled last year’s NL Rookie of the Year into the forefront of the MVP race. He leads the majors with 112 runs (including 36 off his homers) and carries a .302/.397/573 slash line into the series. While thought of first as a third baseman, Bryant, 24, has totaled 181 appearances at six positions this year (often playing more than one in the same game), including 14 in right. While he has pretty much destroyed the ball since the All-Star break, he is a mere 1-for-9 this week. We don’t know if that’s good or bad news for the Astros.
3. Jose Altuve, 2B
Through Wednesday, Altuve, 26, continued to lead the majors in hitting at .344, though fellow second basemen Daniel Murphy (.343) and D.J. LeMahieu were hot on his heels. He has already achieved career highs in runs (96 through Wednesday), homers (22), RBIs (92) and walks (55).
4. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
The acknowledged field leader of the Cubs has a team-leading 97 RBIs, which ranks third in the NL, and 29 home runs. That .295/.390/.557 slash line (with each figure a career high) certainly isn’t shabby, and Rizzo, 27, is a Gold Glove-caliber defender.
5. Carlos Correa, DH
“What!!??” you say. “Designated hitter!!??” It’s no knock on Correa’s defense, which is solid. The Cubs just happen to have a shortstop who rates even higher with the glove. Offensively, however, last season’s AL Rookie of the Year rates a large edge. Correa’s 90 RBIs lead all shortstops, and his 54 extra-base hits (32 doubles, three triples, 19 homers) rank second. He missed the last two games with shoulder inflammation, but the Astros are hopeful their 21-yearold star — yes, he’s still only 21! — will be back this weekend.
6. Alex Bregman, LF
He has played left only once in the majors (and barely more than that in the minors), but that’s where Bregman, 22, would be stationed to maximize this lineup. After that rough 1-for-34 start to his career, he has developed into an imposing major league hitter. In his last 30 games through Wednesday, Bregman owned a .323/.369/.592 slash line.
7. Addison Russell, SS
A genuine whiz with the leather, Russell has 88 RBIs, which ranks second among shortstops to Correa, though it should be noted a whopping 32 percent of his atbats have come with runners in scoring position. He’s only 22, but his demeanor and approach toward getting better have some saying — or at least whispering — that he ultimately could be for the Cubs what Derek Jeter was for the Yankees.
8.Javier Baez, 3B
A jack-of-all-infield trades, Baez, 23, is probably the Cubs’ best defender at second and third. A strikeout machine in 2014 and 2015, Baez fanned in more than a third of his plate appearances, but he has that rate below 25 percent this year as he continues to make strides as a big league hitter. He’s batting .271 with 13 homers and is one of the cagiest baserunners you’ll see, as evidenced when he scored from second last weekend on an infield single.
9. Willson Contreras, C
This 24-year-old rookie was a hit off the bat, homering on the first major league pitch he saw after raking at a .353/.442/.593 clip at Class AAA this year. His .264/.338/.449 line in the majors will certainly play behind the plate, and he has nine home runs in 216 at-bats. Contreras has been challenged in trying to corral some of the breaking balls of Jake Arrieta and Aroldis Chapman, but he’s got a live arm behind the plate. What exactly will the Cubs do next year when Kyle Schwarber returns from a torn ACL? It’s a good problem to have.