PT TOMORROW: NL Central—2B job up for grabs in Chicago

Chicago Cubs

One of the more intriguing battles to watch this spring will be the one for the second base job on the North Side. Each of Javier Báez (2B, CHC), Arismendy Alcántara (2B, CHC), and Tommy La Stella (2B, CHC) can make a convincing case for the job, while all of them also have obvious flaws in their game.

Baez entered the 2014 season as a consensus top 10 prospect in all of baseball. There were holes in his swing and questions surrounding his defense, but his power rivaled that of any other prospect. Fast forward one year, and the concerns regarding his strikeouts have exacerbated. Baez had a career worst 66 percent contact rate in Triple-A, and it dropped to 55 percent in his 213 at-bat big league trial.

The contact woes...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From PT Tomorrow

The Angeles have a 4-way battle for closer in spring training.
Feb 25 2026 3:06am
Marcelo Mayer's chances of breaking camp with the Red Sox may not be as strong as previously thought. Plus, Okamoto's role in TOR, early spring standouts, and more from around the AL East.
Feb 24 2026 3:03am
The Mets metamorphosis has many moving parts, not least at the infield corners. Plus: Wheeler at PHI; House at WAS; C at ATL and MIA; more.
Feb 23 2026 8:45am
While the NL West has plenty of star power that usually claims fans' attention, there are still interesting position battles to be won in the spring. Here some to be watching for.
Feb 21 2026 3:03am
McLain struggled to regain his 2023 form coming back from injury in 2025. Can he find that level again in 2026?
Feb 20 2026 3:30am

Tools