The Chicago Cubs have had a very busy offseason so far. They’ve made a big splash on the trade market by acquiring superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker to give them power in their lineup. In addition to adding key depth pieces, the Cubs have been very successful in upgrading their roster.
It’s hard to believe that the season is right around the corner. Major League Baseball recently released key dates for the Cubs that fans should be excited about. Some important matchups will test the Cubs’ ability to compete against some of the best teams in the National League.
When do the Chicago Cubs report to Spring Training?
The Cubs will have their pitchers and catchers’ first report to their Spring Training facilities on Sunday Feb. 9 and then the full squad will join them on Feb. 14. The Cubs are a part of the Cactus League which also has the Cubs cross-town rivals the Chicago White Sox and a few other of their divisional opponents playing in the league.
Important things to watch for in Spring Training
This Spring Training will be essential for the Cubs being they have some key positional battles to watch. The first and most important of those battles will be at third base. Currently, the Cubs’ top prospect Matt Shaw has the upper hand at winning the job if he performs well. Shaw’s competition at third will be Vidal Brujan who the Cubs acquired from the Miami Marlins and Gage Workman who was picked in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason. Another big storyline to watch for this spring will be how Kyle Tucker will gel with his new teammates and adjust to the confines of Wrigley Field once the Cubs make their way back up north.
Big schedule updates for the Cubs this season
The Cubs start their season off with a bang with getting to travel to Japan to play the reigning World Series Champions the Los Angeles Dodgers. That quick two game jaunt will be important on many levels especially if the Dodgers end up landing Roki Sasaki who the Cubs were heavily in on trying to sign.
The Cubs then get two games on the coveted Sunday Night Baseball that will showcase to a national audience the Cubs roster. The Cubs then go up against the Dodgers again on April 13 where they’ll travel to Los Angeles to play another important series. Then the Cubs final showcase on Sunday Night Baseball for April comes against the National League East Champions the Philadelphia Phillies.
Even though it’s just two series in April they figure to be an important test for to see how the Cubs can fair against playoff caliber teams. The Dodgers and the Phillies are the consensus top two teams in the National League and winning a series against either will boost the Cubs confidence and their chances to make the playoffs.
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