The Chicago Cubs will begin the 2023 MLB season with a three-game home series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, March 30. This is followed by a quick three-game set in Cincinnati against the Reds before the Cubs are back at Wrigley Field for a pair of series against American League foes in the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners.
Here are three questions for the Cubs ahead of the 2023 season.
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Three Key Questions
Can the Cubs find stability?
The Cubs had too many positions in 2022 that ran through too many players. There were seven different players that spent at least ten games at second base. There were five guys playing at least 19 games in center field, but not one was able to play more than 50. The offseason moves have sought to address this. Shortstop signing Dansby Swanson will push Nico Horner to second base. Cody Bellinger should be the center fielder that the Cubs were never able to lock in on last season. The moves look good on paper, but will they pan out and give the Cubs the consistent playing time needed in those spots?
Will Seiya Suzuki put a complete season together?
After an April where he was the top National League rookie, Suzuki suffered a slump as pitchers got used to his style of play. Suzuki has a powerful bat and outstanding strike zone judgment, but there was always going to be an adjustment period during his debut year in the majors. Throw in a 35-game injury absence that couldn’t have come at a worse time, and things weren’t looking great. His swing decisions improved after his injury, and it will be interesting to see his progress and if he can up his WAR number of 2.0 in his second season.
What will the new (balanced) schedule do?
Teams from strong divisions have welcomed that the MLB teams will play everyone else in the league for the first time this year. This is not the case for the Cubs, given that the National League Central is widely regarded as one of the worst – if not the worst – division in baseball. The Cardinals won the division with 93 wins in 2022, while the Pirates and the Reds were two of just four teams across all of baseball to lose 100 or more games. The Cubs will also play the division rivals less, with their usual 18-game minimum against the Cards being refused to just 13 games this season.
Upcoming Cubs Home Games (Before the All-Star Break)
Thu, Mar 30 – Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Sat, April 1 – Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Sun, April 2 – Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Fri, April 7 – Cubs vs. Texas Rangers
Sat, April 8 – Cubs vs. Texas Rangers
Sun, April 9 – Cubs vs. Texas Rangers
Mon, April 10 – Cubs vs. Seattle Mariners
Tue, April 11 – Cubs vs. Seattle Mariners
Wed, April 12 – Cubs vs. Seattle Mariners
Thu, April 20 – Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Fri, April 21 – Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Sat, April 22 – Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Sun, April 23 – Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Tue, April 25 – Cubs vs. San Diego Padres
Wed, April 26 – Cubs vs. San Diego Padres
Thu, April 27 – Cubs vs. San Diego Padres
Fri, May 5 – Cubs vs. Miami Marlins
Sat, May 6 -Cubs vs. Miami Marlins
Sun, May 7 – Cubs vs. Miami Marlins
Mon, May 8 – Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Tue, May 9 – Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Wed, May 10 – Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Tue, May 23 – Cubs vs. New York Mets
Wed, May 24 – Cubs vs. New York Mets
Thu, May 25 – Cubs vs. New York Mets
Fri, May 26 – Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds
Sat, May 27 – Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds
Sun, May 28 – Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds
Mon, May 29 – Cubs vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Tue, May 30 – Cubs vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Wed, May 31 – Cubs vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Tue, June 13 – Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Wed, June 14 – Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Thu, June 15 – Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Fri, June 16 – Cubs vs. Baltimore Orioles
Sat, June 17 -Cubs vs. Baltimore Orioles
Sun, June 18 – Cubs vs. Baltimore Orioles
Tue, June 27 – Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Wed, June 28 – Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Thu, June 29 – Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Fri, June 30 – Cubs vs. Cleveland Guardians
Sat, July 1 – Cubs vs. Cleveland Guardians
Sun, July 2 – Cubs vs. Cleveland Guardians
