Baseball season has begun. Hot dogs are being grilled and beers are being poured. The San Francisco Giants are coming off their third World Series title in five years, but no need to worry about them. I am only concerned with teams whose bandwagons need to be filled.
There is always next year, but this is the year to jump on the Chicago Cubs’ bandwagon. The North Siders are full of young talent, and Kris Bryant is the leader of this bunch. He is only 23-years-old, and he led the MLB in homeruns during spring training. In 67 games with the Iowa Cubs last season, Bryant hit 43 homeruns with a .295 batting average and a .619 slugging percentage.
The Cubbies also have a depth of current talent with the likes of Jon Lester, Anthony Rizzo, and Starlin Castro. Lester signed a six-year, $155 million deal with the Cubs this offseason after winning 16 games with 220 strikeouts and a 2.46 ERA. Rizzo came out of a sophomore year slump by finishing third in the MLB with a .527 slugging percentage and fourth with a .386 on base percentage. Castro rebounded last year with a .292 batting average while amassing 58 runs and 65 RBIs.
The biggest heist for the Cubs this offseason was bringing in manager Joe Maddon. His managerial wisdom will enable the upward projection of the Cubs. In his nine years with the Tampa Bay Rays, Maddon won over 90 games five times. In the last 30 years, the Chicago Cubs have won 90 games three times. Something has to give, and Maddon is the man for the job.
The next team worth considering a jump onto their bandwagon are the Boston Red Sox. After winning the World Series in 2013, the Red Sox were horrible in 2014 with a 71-91 record. This season, the Red Sox have reloaded with talents like Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval. Ramirez comes to Boston after a couple of injuries plagued his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With him being a career .300 hitter, he adds a steady bat to the lineup. He also had a strong spring training with 14 hits and 12 RBIs.
The five-year, $95 million man in Pablo Sandoval was a big addition for the Red Sox. Last season, Sandoval accounted for 164 hits which is the second highest amount in his career while knocking in 73 runs.
Another part of the success this year for the Red Sox is David Ortiz. As the soul of Boston, Big Papi is an important part to the team’s success. Last season, Ortiz hit 35 homeruns with 104 RBIs. This was his highest output in these categories since 2007.
The Red Sox and the Cubs are teams whose bandwagons need to be filled up. Both teams (especially the Cubs) are due for a bounce-back season. The offseason has been very busy for them. They are going to be successful this year, and it will be fun for everybody who is holding on to the wagon.
