RADIO
When Ben Zobrist signed a four-year deal with the Chicago Cubs this offseason, he knew he’d be entering an already-stacked lineup. From second to sixth, all spots are taken, which will force him to break new ground. Zobrist has spent the majority of his career hitting between second and fifth in the order, so he’ll have to adjust. His next most common position in the lineup, however, is leadoff, which is where he should be this upcoming season. He’s coming off a solid year, slashing .276/.359/.450 and winning a World Series with the Kansas City Royals. Now at 34 years old, Zobrist should be out of his prime, and his numbers should be on a steady downfall for these four years. One important thing to consider, however, is that Zobrist will now be hitting at a much more hitter-friendly ballpark. Over his career, he’s had Tropicana Field, Kauffman Stadium and the Oakland Coliseum as his home ballparks. The home run park factors for those stadiums are 0.96, 0.79 and 0.77, respectively. At Wrigley Field, it’s the third highest in the league, at 1.27.
Last year, while primarily hitting in two of the bottom six stadiums of the category, he hit 13 HR.While you might expect an improvement in the category, his age factors in, as well as the fact that he’ll have Javier Baez as a backup, probably taking some starts away from him. Not one for many hits either, expect Zobrist to hover around the same numbers he put up last year, perhaps lower if he’s slotted in as the leadoff hitter. When it comes to drafting him, his biggest strength is versatility, as he’s designated a second baseman and outfielder. You shouldn’t take him high up, however. His best landing spot will be in the later rounds as a solid utility man.
