Cubs News: Ian Happ wants a chance to play second base |
Tony Crumpton
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- Monday, February 18 2019
What should the Cubs do about Ian Happ?
The young slugger currently has a platoon situation in the outfield but has some experience at second base. He had zero starts in 2018 at that position while he had 28 starts at second base his rookie season back in 2017. In the minors, he had 107 starts at second base. So he has some decent experience in the infield but needs more reps at the big league level. Happ told Cubs manager Joe Maddon that he would like to be entered in the mix at second base when warranted. "He made it clear to me he wants to be considered to play second base," Maddon said via NBC Sports Chicago. Happ wants to get in the lineup and proving his versatility could sway things for him. "He wants for me and us to know that he'll do whatever it takes to get in the lineup," Maddon said. "If we're facing a lefty or whatever and he wants in the lineup or a righty and the outfield's set up a certain way, he knows there might be an option somewhere else to play if we want to move it around or just give somebody a day off. He's smart. It's just about him wanting to get into the lineup." Happ batted .238 with 15 homers and 44 RBIs last season. The Cubs have several players that can play at second base besides Happ with David Bote, Ben Zobrist, Daniel Descalso, and Javier Baez. Among all players in the last 10 years with at least 850 PAs through their age 23 season, Ian Happ's 109 wRC+ ranks 21st - ahead of Ozuna, Hosmer, Rizzo, Bogaerts, J. Ramirez, Arenado, Altuve, & many more.
Six MVPs ahead of him (Trout, Stanton, Harper, Betts, McCutchen, Yelich).
