Chicago Cubs insider has a bad projected 2023 starting lineup
One area that was not addressed by the Chicago Cubs this offseason was the question mark at the top of their batting order. The Cubs have been without a true leadoff hitter since center fielder Dexter Fowler left for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017. Perhaps the vacancy will be filled by top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong when he reaches the Major League level but until then, the Cubs will need to get creative.
Creativity may be what Marquee Sports Network analyst Andy Martinez was going for when he offered his prediction for the Cubs' starting lineup in 2023.
Martinez offered this for his reasoning when defending the idea of Madrigal not only leading off but also serving as the team's designated hitter:
"Madrigal isn’t the prototypical designated hitter but with Swanson and Hoerner manning the middle of the infield, there isn’t much room left for Madrigal. However, the 25-year-old boasts a career .287 AVG and .340 OBP out of the leadoff spot and could emerge as a tablesetter for the Cubs when he’s in the lineup."
- Andy Martinez, Marquee Sports Network
Madrigal likely is better than the hitter he was for the Cubs last season in a small sample size but if the team is entering the 2023 season with idea that the former Chicago White Sox top prospect can serve as their designated hitter, then the Cubs' president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer insulted the entire fanbase last October when he acknowledged that the team lacked power and would seek improvements for that need.
Madrigal has a career .066 career ISO mark. For a Cubs team that still lacks a true power hitter, first base prospect Matt Mervis would be the much better option for the team's designated hitter spot. Mervis will be given the opportunity to make the Major League team out of Spring Training and fits the profile of a traditional designated hitter in Major League Baseball.
Madrigal's role for the Cubs in 2023 has yet to be defined but it most certainly should not be as the team's designated hitter at the top of the lineup.
