And 2024 comes to a close. The year was a mixed one for me personally, what with the multiple surgeries and all, but I mostly feel good about it. I’m not sure I can say the same about the Cubs, for whom the year was also mixed, but ultimately disappointing. May 2025 be much less mixed, and much more maxed.
The Winter Classic comes to Wrigley Field today at 4pm CT:An iconic Chicago sports crossover at Wrigley Field.@NHLBlackhawks ? @Cubs Don't miss the @Discover NHL #WinterClassic TOMORROW at 5p ET on @NHL_On_TNT, @SportsonMax, @Sportsnet, and @TVASports pic.twitter.com/QbX9El8GP0
There will be hockey here tomorrow #Blackhawks #WinterClassic pic.twitter.com/ivnsKoXIRx
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) December 30, 2024Ready For Wrigley. Today is Winter Classic Eve and the Chicago Blackhawks had a practice on the ice today at Wrigley Field. Tomorrow it all starts at 4pm. Go Hawks! #news #chicago #WinterClassic pic.twitter.com/WjzWidtPOL
— Barry Butler Photography (@barrybutler9) December 31, 2024 Maybe the extra revenue from the event will be enough for the Cubs to sign Josh Rojas? Crossover content:'Twas the night before #WinterClassic. ?: @ofcwrigleyfield pic.twitter.com/faGChIIbm3
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) December 31, 2024We’ve got a Pete Crow-Armstrong showing at the #Blackhawks practice the day before the #WinterClassic pic.twitter.com/kkl1HRbggG
— Tab Bamford (@The1Tab) December 30, 2024.@ofcwrigleyfield has friends over ?#WinterClassic // @NHLBlackhawks pic.twitter.com/kA9OvTzXVg
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) December 30, 2024 Speaking of Pete Crow-Armstrong, he was selected by MLB.com as the Cubs’ breakout player for 2025:“Crow-Armstrong’s overall showing in 2024 (.237 average with a .670 OPS in 123 games) does not really tell the story of his season. The Cubs gave him a long runway in his rookie year to sort through the learning curve, and Crow-Armstrong finally turned a real corner in late July. Veteran Dansby Swanson described what he witnessed down the stretch as a “controlled, intentional process” by the rookie. From July 27 onward, the 22-year-old center fielder hit .289/.337/.469 (.806 OPS) and posted 2.2 FanGraphs WAR. Given Crow-Armstrong’s speed, knack for power at times and elite defense, he looks poised for a breakout in ‘25. — Jordan Bastian”
Steamer projects PCA for a .244/.299/.405/97 wRC+ slash line and 2.5 WAR, but it is currently projecting him for 1/3 of the baserunning value (in more games!), and less than half the defensive value (in more games!). If PCA puts up a 97 wRC+ and stays healthy, I’m taking the waaaaaaaay over on 2.5 WAR. ZiPS projects PCA at .249/.302/.412/97 OPS+, which is a touch better at the plate, but still underrates the other contributions, in my view. He comes out at a 3.5 WAR projection, which, hey, is great. But if he’s a near league-average bat and he stays healthy, the baserunning and defense are going to push him above 4.0 WAR, with relative ease. That’s just the math on his abilities. Also: the guy has upside at the plate to be better than league average. We saw it in the second half. I might not bet on him doing it in his sophomore season when he’ll have only just turned 23, but it’s definitely possible. His 80th percentile outcome at ZiPS is .276/.327/.463/117 OPS+, which sounds about right for his upside. Jameson Taillon is back on the mound, gearing up for 2025:First time touching the mound this off-season! Going into year 15 in pro baseball, and love it more than ever! (Shoutout to hype man Ben Brown) pic.twitter.com/U7i2UIE01W
— Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon50) December 30, 2024 Bonus, I love the idea of Ben Brown learning from Jameson Taillon, who is one of the more cerebral pitchers in the game. I laughed:If you start watching World Series Game 5 at 10:26:44 tomorrow night, you can watch the ball drop in New York right at midnight. pic.twitter.com/dLZNWh77V4
— Jeff J. Snider (@snidog) December 31, 2024 That was a fun one:On May 11th, the Cubs drew SIX bases loaded walks in the 5th inning against the Pirates ? pic.twitter.com/7slCOcooH7
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 31, 2024 Chicago sports, undefeated at being defeated:There is a Growing Expectation That Ryan Poles Will Be Back in 2025 t.co/KKT1ks9bPi pic.twitter.com/n1kEOP2McY
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) December 30, 2024ELSEWHERE AT BN: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( New Years Eve, Winter Classic at Wrigley, PCA Projections, and Other Cubs Bullets )
Also on site :
- Second patient death reported with gene therapy for muscular dystrophy
- New York’s Catholic Governor Hasn’t Said If She’ll Sign Assisted Suicide Into Law
- Weld County, Greeley Fire launch PulsePoint to get bystanders to cardiac arrest emergencies