At this point in a forgettable 2012 season The Cubs are simply playing out the string. I personally felt that this season was going to be a mulligan in terms of our overall record, but I also expected to see flashes future greatness at Wrigley. In a sense I have not been altogether disappointed as there a have been a handful of young players that have given Cub fans, like myself, reasons to continue watching. Here are five players that are showing what may be a potentially bright future on the Northside.

– SS: Starlin Castro/ His defense is still a work in progress (21 errors at SS), and his average has dipped over the last month (Overall: .273AVG/.309OBP/.414SLG), but overall the 22 year old Shortstop has done nothing but hit since he arrived in Majors in 2010. His 491 hits since June of 201o are the most in the National League (Through Sunday Sept. 2nd) In 2011, Castro led the NL in hits with 207 becoming the youngest player (21 yrs. old) to lead the league in hits. He has also made consecutive NL All-Star teams (2011, 2012), and continues to set new personal highs in HR’s (12) and RBI (65) this season, Castro is seen by the Front Office as the cornerstone of the Cubs infield for years to come. His new 7 year, $ 60 million dollar contract speaks to that point.

– CF:Brett Jackson/ The speedy former 1st rounder has been solid as predicted in the outfield since his call-up last month, making a series of spectacular catches in CF. However, Jackson was probably called up a bit early, and he has shown signs of growing pains at the plate (42K’s in 99PA’s), but in a lost year we might as well see what we have. His overall stat line through 26 games stands at .190AVG./.313OBP/.417SLG./4HR/8RBI. Jackson has struggled to limit his strikeouts in his first 26 games, but it is a small sample size, and over the last 10 games (Aug 24-Sept 2nd) he has improved his offense hitting .241 with 3HRS and 6RBI. He still struck out 13 times in 38PA’s over that stretch, but striking out a 1/3 of the time is better than 1/2. It’s early, and I believe Jackson has the ability and the confidence to make the adjustments to become a consistent Major League hitter. Stay the Course.

–1B: Anthony Rizzo/ The slugging first baseman has a revelation on both offense and defense since his call-up in late June. He made the necessary adjustments down in Iowa, after being acquired in the offseason from The San Diego Padres. Rizzo struggled in 49 games last year hitting .141AVG/.281OBP/.241SLG with San Diego. This year he came up swinging, and in July he was named the NL Rookie of The Month hitting .330AVG/.375OBP/.567SLG./ 7HR/17RBI. His numbers came down some what in August as he hit .252, but that is to be expected after opposing pitchers have the opportunity to study a young player’s tendencies at the plate. Rizzo has shown maturity beyond his 23 years and continues to adjust, in order to remain consistent at the dish. Through 60 games this season Rizzo’s stat line stands at .287AVG/.333OBP/.457SLG/10HR/31RBI. He has also shown that he can get the job done on defense as well. The young first baseman has committed only 3 errors in 499 chances through 60 games. It’s early, but Anthony Rizzo might just be the left-handed slugging, first baseman that The Cubs have been looking for for years,

–2B:Darwin Barney/ The 26yr. old has been the best second baseman in the National League with a .998 fielding percentage and committing only 1 error in 605 chances. He recently set an NL record (8/29) for errorless games at 2B at 114. His streak currently stands at 118 games. If Barney can improve his performance at the plate (.258AVG/.301OBP/.368SLG) he could be a mainstay for The Cubs at the Keystone position for years to come.

–RHP: Jeff Samardzija/After spending the last few seasons shuttling between the starting rotation and the bullpen, both here and in Iowa, the big right-hander got after it in spring training, and won himself a spot in the Cubs rotation. His 2012 numbers (8-14 W-L, 4.03ERA) do not tell the full story. He has received limited run support, and outside of a handful of his 26 starts, Samardzija has been the most consistent, and reliable starter in The Cubs rotation. He has proven to be a workhorse, pitching a career high 158 innings in his first season as a starter, and his 163 K’s are currently 9th in the National League. The rotation’s success in the coming years may rest on the right-hander’s shoulders.

Who knows how the future will play out for this team, but I firmly believe that a championship caliber club must have a home-grown core in order to consistently contend. Committing to youth involves stepping back and letting the kids work out the growing pains. It also mean cutting ties with fan favorites (IE: Ryan Dempster and Sean Marshall), and stockpiling future prospects. Hey, if they are not apart of the front offices long term plans, then you have to move them. It’s not always pretty, but spending money now in free agency with a ball club that is not ready to contend only masks the problem. Applying the free agent band-aid to placate an angry, frustrated fan base, will not lead to postseason success. If anything that method will bloat a big league payroll, and leave a team stuck with over the hill, overpaid stars,. All Cubs fans with half a clue saw how the band-aid approach worked beginning in 2007. The “Win one for the Trib” mentality was in full effect, as the payroll increased exponentially in an attempt to put a winner on the field, and in my opinion, drive up the value of the club for the impending sale. I don’t blame former GM Jim Hendry entirely, I believe he was given a blank checkbook from The Tribune/Dennis FitzSimons (President), and told to get proven stars no matter the cost. The arrival of Alfonso Soriano (8yrs $137mil), Kosuke Fukudome (4yrs, $41mil), and others via free agency helped to bring The Cubs Back to Back N.L. Central Division Championship in 2007 and 2008, but also Back to Back Postseason exits, and a sky-high payroll. I firmly believe those teams lacked internal depth to contend beyond 2008.

I reiterate that overspending on free agents without a sound, internally developed group of players will not lead to sustained post season success. As frustrating as it has been to watch I am completely behind President Theo Epstein and General Manager Jed Hoyer in their efforts to build The Chicago Cubs into a winner the right way. Once their young core is in place, then it will be time to spend free agency. The money will be there.

In the weeks that remain in a tough season, try focus on flashes of brilliance that are already being displayed by the young core listed above. I know I will.

-Kyle

Stats through Sept 2nd 2012

Stats per BaseballReference.com and MLB.com