Zo What?

Next year or so, people are going to start eulogizing the decade and making lists and trying to sum everything up. And I propose, a year early, that Ben Zobrist should be named the Unsung Hero of the 2010s.

I mean, think about it. Zobrist has contributed to so many great teams without being the overall standout player. He was a member of the 2015 Royals, and helped them win a World Series. He then went right to Chicago, was a member of the all-Cubs ASG infield, and helped THEM win a World Series. Since then, while not starting at 2nd, he's been a fantastic bench presence and utility specialist. This season alone he's got a 2.9 WAR, a .314 average, 122 hits...and he's thirty-seven. He's got third-highest WAR on the team, he's still a five-tool defender...and he's 37. This guy deserves so much more respect.

And in a season like this, where the Cubs have been at the front of the pack for the majority of the year, Ben Zobrist may be the most important piece in Chicago. Yes, Baez will get the MVP votes, Bryant sells all the jerseys, and Rizzo hits all the home runs, but Zo is crafty, gets hits, and keeps pitchers guessing. And the Cubs couldn't have made it big this year without him.

Now? With the Cubs probably headed into October seeded first, and looking like they'll be playing an NL Central competitor in the NLDS, they will need to prove that they deserved to be in first, and they will need to prove they have what it takes to make the NLCS for the fourth year in a row, tying the Cardinals' mark earlier this decade.

But...they're the Cubs, and they have Ben Zobrist. So they're looking pretty good.

Coming Tomorrow- His team's #1 starter just hit the DL with less than a month until the playoffs. Luckily...he's more than capable of taking that mantle.