Playoff spotlight doesn’t faze young Cubs players
WASHINGTON — With Jon Lester not starting until Game 2, Jake Arrieta’s tender right hamstring preventing him from pitching until Game 4 and John Lackey facing an uncertain role, the time has arrived for the Cubs’ youngsters to take their biggest steps forward, starting Friday night in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.
That means catcher Willson Contreras, 25, will have the dual tasks of shutting down Nationals speedster Trea Turner on the basepaths while providing offense behind Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo.
Second baseman Javier Baez, 24, one of the stars of the Cubs’ run to the 2016 World Series title, will be called upon to provide exceptional defensive range and duplicate the clutch hitting he displayed in the NLDS clincher against the Giants last October.
And shortstop Addison Russell, 23, will look to make up for an uneven season by supplying clutch hitting in the middle of the order and making accurate throws with regularity.
“You’ve got to take advantage of the opportunities when you have them,” said Bryant, 25, who has reached the playoffs in all three of his seasons.
“We’re not always going to be this young. So when we do get these chances, pounce on them and go out there and compete. It’s pretty cool to have this group of guys who have been there for three years to have a chance to do it again.”
The Cubs have embraced their underdog label despite winning 15 of their final 19 games and not facing Nationals ace Max Scherzer in Game 1.
With Scherzer’s status THE SCHEDULE uncertain because of a tweaked hamstring, Stephen Strasburg will get the Game 1 start against the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks, 27.
Another Cubs youngster, 24-year-old left fielder Kyle Schwarber, feels cleansed after rebounding in the second half from a midseason demotion to Triple-A Iowa.
“It feels good we’re in this time of the year where everything turns to zero, and it doesn’t really matter what you did in the regular season,” Schwarber said.
Team officials also look for the young core to take greater ownership on a large stage.
“It’s exciting because hopefully it leaves our window open for a while,” said Jason McLeod, senior vice president of scouting and player development.
Nationals pitcher Edwin Jackson got a glimpse of Bryant, Baez, Russell and Schwarber during his final months with the Cubs in 2015 and saw the value of youngsters getting experience early in their careers.
“That’s the future,” Jackson said. “You saw those guys when they were young, coming up. You knew they had talent, and once they got their chance to go out and prove it, they took advantage of the situation and went out and played good baseball.
“It was big for them because they can come in and be comfortable with the situation, and they’re not going to try to overdo it because they’ve already been there at a young age. That’s huge because this is a big stage. A lot of people are watching. There’s a lot more pressure put on these games than the regularseason games.”