3 way-too-early optimistic Cubs spring training overreactions

Block off your calendar this fall - the Chicago Cubs are BACK! Well, we'll see if they're really back soon enough when they kick off the 2025 regular season schedule with two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Series, but a hot start in Arizona has everyone drinking the Kool-Aid regardless.

A pair of wins over those Dodgers, plus victories over the White Sox and Rangers, have the Cubs at 4-0 in Cactus League play heading into Monday's matchup against San Diego and there's been a lot to like in the early going. But we have to pump the brakes on the unbridled optimism. It's easy to fall into this trap. We're all excited about baseball being back and the preseason projections with Chicago as the NL Central favorites. That doesn't mean we can issue any judgment on this team - or any of the players - after one weekend of spring training games.

Kevin Alcantara is ready to succeed Kyle Tucker in right field in 2026

One of the Cubs' top outfield prospects, Kevin Alcantara, has balled out this spring, slashing .625/.625/.750 in three games. We got our first look at him at the big-league level last summer, but it was extremely limited, and how he performs this year will go a long way toward determining the team's long-term plans with him.

Until Tom Ricketts proves otherwise, it seems safe to assume Kyle Tucker will depart in free agency at season's end. The Cubs have never even gone to $200 million on a contract, let alone the potential $400+ million Tucker is expected to command if he has a strong walk year on the North Side. Technically, Chicago could slot Seiya Suzuki back into the everyday job in right for 2026, rounding out the mix with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ in center and left, respectively.

But both Happ and Suzuki are free agents after the 2026 season, so slotting in someone like Alcantara or Owen Caissie next year could be advantageous given their long-term control. But simply assuming Alcantara is up for that challenge after a strong start this spring and a .781 OPS between Double- and Triple-A last year is premature.

Gage Workman is the clear favorite to take the final spot on the bench

Gage Workman has never played a game at Triple-A. Ever. The Cubs snagged him from Detroit in last fall's Rule 5 Draft and the former Arizona State standout is leaving it all on the field early on.

An opposite-field home run in his Cactus League debut set Cubs Twitter ablaze and a .429/.444/.857 line in the early going has some speculating he could actually crack the team's 26-man roster. But his road to doing so is long and difficult. The roster implications alone make him a long-shot and it's clear the team really likes the athleticism and positional versatility of Vidal Brujan.

The bench mix seems likely to include catcher Carson Kelly, Brujan, Justin Turner and Jon Berti. Workman would have to set Cactus League pitching ablaze for weeks on end to change that pecking order. Again, not impossible, but it's far too soon to appoint him as a member of the Cubs Opening Day roster.

Pete Crow-Armstrong is ready to go full 2023 Corbin Carroll on us

It's been all aces for young Cubs outfielders down in Arizona. It's been all eyes on Alcantara, but Pete Crow-Armstrong has been turning heads, too - and not just because of his flashy hairstyle or new number.

Crow-Armstrong has looked locked in at the plate and, as we all know, that's the biggest question when it comes to his game. He's 4-for-6, boasting a .667/.667/1.000 line after a three-hit afternoon on Sunday in the Cubs' come-from-behind win over the Rangers.

If PCA hits like he did down the stretch last summer and brings his usual elite baserunning, speed and defense in center, he could not only be one of the best players on this team, but one of the more valuable guys in the entire league, similar to the breakout showing Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll had two years ago.

A Carroll-like presence in this lineup would transform the Cubs' offense. But, again, we're talking about six solid ABs. Could Crow-Armstrong become that type of player? Absolutely. But we're not making that call based on a good weekend's worth of results at the dish.