The Cubs’ Lineup Versatility Is Virtually Limitless, and Fun to Explore
The Cubs’ flexibility is undeniable.
Manager Joe Maddon’s team features seven players who are on the current 40-man roster who played at least two defensive positions for the 2015 team — including four who played at three different spots. In the offseason, the front office added Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist to the mix for 2016. Both have played multiple defensive positions prior to their signings and could do so again in the coming months and years of their respective contracts.
Below is a table featuring each of the Cubs’ projected regulars and primary bench players (sorry David Ross, Munenori Kawasaki and Matt Szczur) who have played at least one defensive inning at multiple defensive positions in their career.
| PLAYER | C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwarber | 136.0 | — | — | — | — | 295.2 | — | 14.0 |
| Zobrist | — | 92.0 | 4825.1 | 44.1 | 1764.0 | 656.0 | 203.0 | 2317.1 |
| Russell | — | — | 746.0 | — | 471.1 | — | — | — |
| Bryant | — | 6.0 | — | 1209.1 | — | 39.0 | 18.0 | 41.0 |
| Baez | — | 1.0 | 269.2 | 64.0 | 300.0 | — | — | — |
| La Stella | — | — | 809.2 | 52.0 | — | — | — | — |
| Fowler | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7279.0 | 1.0 |
| Heyward | — | — | — | — | — | — | 233.0 | 6756.1 |
The team’s versatility in the field appears to be matched only by their projected lineup.
Below is a look at where each of the Cubs’ projected regular contributors has batted in their career (at least 100 plate appearances), with statistics via FanGraphs (including the team’s top two back-ups, Jorge Soler and Javier Baez).
| SCHWARBER | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 228 | .239 | .368 | .505 | .874 | .378 | 141 |
| FOWLER | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| 1st | 2504 | .267 | .362 | .428 | .790 | .348 | 109 |
| 2nd | 769 | .254 | .348 | .386 | .734 | .328 | 92 |
| 3rd | 255 | .274 | .377 | .353 | .730 | .327 | 101 |
| HEYWARD | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| 1st | 570 | .280 | .354 | .427 | .782 | .346 | 122 |
| 2nd | 996 | .251 | .347 | .410 | .757 | .338 | 111 |
| 3rd | 587 | .259 | .336 | .427 | .763 | .335 | 110 |
| 5th | 396 | .269 | .353 | .402 | .755 | .334 | 113 |
| 6th | 383 | .310 | .391 | .591 | .982 | .418 | 166 |
| 7th | 281 | .240 | .335 | .401 | .735 | .321 | 100 |
| SOLER | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| 4th | 133 | .207 | .263 | .347 | .610 | .263 | 62 |
| 5th | 111 | .356 | .387 | .615 | 1.003 | .428 | 175 |
| 6th | 115 | .348 | .313 | .352 | .665 | .289 | 80 |
| BRYANT | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| 2nd | 122 | .250 | .328 | .491 | .819 | .352 | 123 |
| 3rd | 300 | .254 | .343 | .462 | .805 | .348 | 120 |
| 5th | 143 | .323 | .413 | .581 | .993 | .425 | 173 |
| RUSSELL | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| 9th | 437 | .246 | .310 | .410 | .719 | .314 | 97 |
| ZOBRIST | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| 1st | 609 | .241 | .329 | .372 | .702 | .311 | 98 |
| 2nd | 1437 | .272 | .369 | .429 | .797 | .352 | 125 |
| 3rd | 1093 | .267 | .347 | .412 | .759 | .334 | 113 |
| 4th | 627 | .280 | .363 | .465 | .828 | .361 | 128 |
| 5th | 594 | .281 | .377 | .481 | .858 | .372 | 136 |
| 6th | 243 | .262 | .374 | .535 | .909 | .388 | 144 |
| 9th | 240 | .216 | .269 | .349 | .618 | .271 | 61 |
| RIZZO | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| 2nd | 221 | .296 | .398 | .527 | .925 | .398 | 155 |
| 3rd | 1725 | .266 | .358 | .475 | .833 | .362 | 130 |
| 4th | 352 | .269 | .358 | .502 | .860 | .367 | 133 |
| BAEZ | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| 2nd | 230 | .168 | .226 | .322 | .549 | .247 | 52 |
| MONTERO | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| 4th | 1196 | .250 | .340 | .370 | .710 | .314 | 92 |
| 5th | 2034 | .282 | .351 | .473 | .825 | .355 | 118 |
| 6th | 807 | .258 | .336 | .420 | .757 | .329 | 101 |
| 7th | 390 | .276 | .356 | .477 | .832 | .362 | 120 |
| 8th | 314 | .244 | .335 | .378 | .713 | .312 | 81 |
As you can see by the table, most of the Cubs have dabbled in multiple spots in the order, which should give Maddon ample opportunity to tinker and fine tune things over the course of 162 games.
However, that table only scratches the surface. It’s also worth considering, even if only for fun, how each player has performed in various spots in the order relative to each other (some guys are more comfortable hitting in certain spots).Below is a look at how each spot in the batting order shakes out with regards to a player’s experience in that particular spot.
In gathering data for this observation, I set a minimum of 200 plate appearances for a player to receive consideration for a particular spot in the order.
But in the cases of Kris Bryant and Jorge Soler, a pair of players who have hit in several spots in the order but have fewer than 1,000 plate appearances under their belts, I dropped the requirements to 100 plate appearances for the sake of this research.
| BATTING 1ST | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fowler | 2504 | .267 | .362 | .428 | .790 | .348 | 109 |
| Zobrist | 609 | .241 | .329 | .372 | .702 | .311 | 98 |
| Heyward | 570 | .280 | .354 | .427 | .782 | .346 | 122 |
| BATTING 2ND | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| Zobrist | 1437 | .272 | .369 | .429 | .797 | .352 | 125 |
| Heyward | 996 | .251 | .347 | .410 | .757 | .338 | 111 |
| Fowler | 769 | .254 | .348 | .386 | .734 | .328 | 92 |
| Schwarber | 228 | .239 | .368 | .505 | .874 | .378 | 141 |
| Baez | 230 | .168 | .226 | .322 | .549 | .247 | 52 |
| Rizzo | 221 | .296 | .398 | .527 | .925 | .398 | 155 |
| Bryant | 122 | .250 | .328 | .491 | .819 | .352 | 123 |
| BATTING 3RD | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| Rizzo | 1725 | .266 | .358 | .475 | .833 | .362 | 130 |
| Zobrist | 1093 | .267 | .347 | .412 | .759 | .334 | 113 |
| Heyward | 587 | .259 | .336 | .427 | .763 | .335 | 110 |
| Bryant | 300 | .254 | .343 | .462 | .805 | .348 | 120 |
| Fowler | 255 | .274 | .377 | .353 | .730 | .327 | 101 |
| BATTING 4TH | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| Montero | 1196 | .250 | .340 | .370 | .710 | .314 | 92 |
| Zobrist | 627 | .280 | .363 | .465 | .828 | .361 | 128 |
| Rizzo | 352 | .269 | .358 | .502 | .860 | .367 | 133 |
| Soler | 133 | .207 | .263 | .347 | .610 | .263 | 62 |
| BATTING 5TH | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| Montero | 2034 | .282 | .351 | .473 | .825 | .355 | 118 |
| Zobrist | 594 | .281 | .377 | .481 | .858 | .372 | 136 |
| Heyward | 396 | .269 | .353 | .402 | .755 | .334 | 113 |
| Bryant | 143 | .323 | .413 | .581 | .993 | .425 | 173 |
| Soler | 111 | .356 | .387 | .615 | 1.003 | .428 | 175 |
| BATTING 6TH | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| Montero | 807 | .258 | .336 | .420 | .757 | .329 | 101 |
| Heyward | 383 | .310 | .391 | .591 | .982 | .418 | 166 |
| Zobrist | 243 | .262 | .374 | .535 | .909 | .388 | 144 |
| Soler | 115 | .348 | .313 | .352 | .665 | .289 | 80 |
| BATTING 7TH | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| Montero | 390 | .276 | .356 | .477 | .832 | .362 | 120 |
| Heyward | 281 | .240 | .335 | .401 | .735 | .321 | 100 |
| BATTING 8TH | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| Montero | 314 | .244 | .335 | .378 | .713 | .312 | 81 |
| BATTING 9TH | PA | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | wOBA | wRC+ |
| Russell | 437 | .246 | .310 | .410 | .719 | .314 | 97 |
| Zobrist | 240 | .216 | .269 | .349 | .618 | .271 | 61 |
No matter which way you slice it, the Cubs’ lineup projects to be stacked, deep and dangerous based on the histories of the players who can be plugged into the lineup on a daily basis. And when you consider the numerous defensive alignment possibilities in tandem with the numerous lineup possibilities, it’s easy to see how the options for Joe Maddon balloon rapidly.
