One could joke that the two biggest weaknesses for the Chicago Cubs in 2013 was their offense and their defense and they wouldn't be entirely incorrect. In fact, the Cubs' biggest concerns heading into the new season are what they're going to do at the plate, and what they can do with the leather. With pitching being addressed, at least to a certain degree that made it deep enough for us to forget about those concerns, it's once again going to be the offense and the defense for the Cubs that serve as major questions.
Offensively, the Cubs were quite terrible in 2013, especially when you stack them up against the rest of the league. The Cubs were 28th in the league in runs scored last year, coming just four ahead of the 29th place Chicago White Sox. They also managed to get on base at a rate of just .299, which also ranked 28th in the league. There are some bright spots, though, such as their power where the Cubs ranked 9th in home runs in 2013.
For the Cubs to improve offensively, it's going to come down to some individual performances. Starlin Castro is simply going to have to be better. Say what you want about the adjustments he was trying to make last year, you can't swing at five percent more fastballs and get that much worse. It can't happen. Castro's going to have to use the bat as effectively as he did in 2011 and 2012, preferably the former for the Cubs to be successful.
Anthony Rizzo also has to rebound. This is seen as much more likely, given that Rizzo's OBP, at .323, wasn't nearly as putrid as Castro's was. He also was much more restricted in the balls he put in play actually landing, as his BABIP dipped all the way down to .258. He should bounce back with the average in 2014, as well as the considerable power he provides.
Others here are going to have to pick up the slack as well. Darwin Barney cannot be this team's starting second baseman, plain and simple. If Mike Olt shows enough this spring as he has so far, he needs to be the guy at third base, with Emilio Bonifacio and Luis Valbuena getting time over at second base. An ideal world would likely result in the trade of Barney before Opening Day, as it'd certainly result in more runs produced. Junior Lake has plenty of upside and Justin Ruggiano has looked really good this spring, in addition to the fact that Nate Schierholtz is coming off of his best offensive season ever. The pieces will all have to come together, though, for the Cubs to jump up the offensive charts.
Defensively, this team isn't nearly as bad as they've been in recent years. They showed considerable improvement last year, ranking fourth in the league in defensive efficiency ratio, which records the number of defensive opportunities turned into actual outs. They aren't dynamite on the mound, but they have a much improved bullpen and a quality starting staff. If this team is going to be anywhere near respectable, though, they're going to have to get the bats working.
