The Chicago Cubs are so close to Opening Day, and their projected lineup looks like it could do some damage this year.
are just a couple of days away from kicking off their 2026 season with a home series against the Washington Nationals, marking the beginning of the most anticipated campaign in some time. After a huge offseason of moves, this is a Chicago team with legitimate championship potential and with a very high ceiling on both sides of the ball if they take care of business.
Though it's become clear they are not going to start the year at full strength, it's still a phenomenal group. With Opening Day now just two days away, fans can take a pretty good guess as to what the lineup is going to look like, andThis may or may not be what exactly the lineup looks like to start the year as the team still has a couple of decisions to make, but it does feel like the major decisions and order have already been decided on as to who is going to be batting where. One point of contention may be the right field situation, given Matt Shaw's defensive struggles while switching to a utility role. Interestingly, aChicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images. His bat has been strong enough throughout camp and Suzuki's absence should be brief enough for Chicago to show a little bit of patience with the youngster. It would not be a shock to see Conforto get the nod against right-handers and Shaw against left-handers, but obviously, the ceiling on the rising second-year slugger is a whole lot higher. The Cubs want to win both now and in the future, so the start of the season feels like a great chance for Shaw to get reps in the outfield and be prepared to play wherever the team may need him at some point this season.Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.
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