The Cubs’ Ian Happ hit like a real bum in 60 at-bats last spring: a .383 average, five home runs, a .441 on-base percentage and puny OPS of 1.191. Please — like anyone was going to get excited about that.
But this year? Just get a load of what the 23-year-old is doing at the plate: In only 21 at-bats, he’s batting .429 with four bombs, a .500 OBP and a cartoonish OPS of 1.690.
RELATED STORIES
Javy Baez’s injury scare a reminder of regenerated hype, hope around 2018 Cubs
Outfield of dreams, or a nightmare of late-spring decisions for Cubs?
Maybe this whole baseball thing is for him after all.
Happ already has had a couple of outstanding games hitting in the leadoff spot, a fine development for him considering all of Cubdom would love to see someone claim that role as his own. So who is the team’s best option at the top of the order: the switch-hitting Happ, the switch-hitting Ben Zobrist, emerging righty Albert Almora Jr. or someone else?
Here’s how you’ve weighed in so far:
"Your Turn" poll No. 2: If you had to pick now, who would get the most ABs in the leadoff spot for the #Cubs this season?
— Steve Greenberg (@SLGreenberg) March 8, 2018
cc: @suntimes, @GDubCub
Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that so few voters were sick and twisted enough to get behind Kyle Schwarber and/or Jason Heyward, but how about Zobrist getting so little love? Or maybe Cubs fans simply like Almora and love Happ at leadoff that much.
Follow me on Twitter @slgreenberg.
Email: sgreenberg@suntimes.com
