Thursday, December 8, 2016

Uncustomed Heroes of 2016: Cubs


In spite of all the darkness that has inhabited 2016...the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. So...at least something amazing like that happened this year.

There's gonna be a ton of customs in this one, because there were a lot of spare parts and extra players that made this team great this year, so I'm not gonna hold back.

Miguel Montero was supposed to be the starting catcher this year, but thanks to superior performances from David Ross and Willson Contreras, Montero was sidelined to a backup position. He came through with some nice moments in the postseason, but his future with the team is in question.

Albert Almora came up in mid-July, and became one of the many prospects that ended up propelling the Cubs into the postseason. He didn't play as often as Contreras, but did some good things, and may be either a steady backup or somewhere else in 2017.

Jorge Soler didn't have as strong a season as his 2015, but he did a nice enough job as an extra outfielder, and hopefully will improve in the future. The outfield is beginning to look crowded, and Soler needs to secure space before Theo decides he's not needed.

Last year, Chris Denorfia was in the role of Bench Player Extraordinaire. Now it's Matt Szczur, who didn't play every day, but still did his nut to keep the momentum going, especially off the bench. Not sure what this means for his 2017, but he was a crucial part of the team's depth in 2016.

Mike Montgomery is gonna tell his kids that he saved the last inning of the Cubs' first World Series since 1908. Even if he was in a limited relief role for most of the series, he still has that claim to fame.

Didn't think I'd be making a Kyle Schwarber custom this year, to be honest, but he came back to Chicago in October, and brought his power with him, giving some classic moments, and proving that he's crucial to the team, while at the same time showing that the team could be great without him. He'll probably have a great 2017, and it'll be great to see him in a full season.

Speaking of full seasons...Kris Bryant took his first one and brought home an MVP and a World Series title. This season proves that he is definitely here to stay, that he's a talent the Cubs should hold dear to their hearts, and that the NL may have found its Trout-esque figure of absolute talent. Kris Bryant was unbelievable this year, and hopefully he'll continue to be.

Coming Tomorrow- The sadly limp Arizona Diamondbacks.

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