CHICAGO (670 The Score) – After bursting onto the scene in 2022, Cubs utilityman Christopher Morel is back with the big league club, displaying his usual boundless energy and looking to make a big impact like he did in his stint at Triple-A Iowa to open the season.
Morel is off to a good start, going 4-for-8 with a homer, a double and three RBIs across a pair of games Tuesday and Wednesday after he was promoted Monday. Morel had started the season at Triple-A because the Cubs wanted him to get everyday at-bats after he struggled later in the 2022 season.
"There was just an emphasis to fine-tune a few things,” manager David Ross said. "We all can pick out a player's flaws. I don't think we were doing that with Christopher. It was just getting him some more seasoning, to learn some other positions and tune up the ability to bounce around the field and be really good or better at some positions that we may need to fill at time during the season. If somebody goes down due to injury, he is here to fill in.”
Morel, 23, was on a tear at Triple-A, hitting .330 with 11 homers, 31 RBIs and a 1.155 OPS in 29 games. In 2022, Morel hit .235 with 16 homers, 47 RBIs and a .741 OPS in 113 games for the Cubs.
Morel doesn’t have an everyday position now, but he’s capable of playing second base, third base and the outfield, so he’ll slot in wherever he’s needed.
“I thought when he came up at the beginning of last year, he had good patience and took his walks,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said of Morel. “As happens for young players in the big leagues as the year waned on, he got a little bit more aggressive. I think his best self is seeing more pitches and drawing walks along with providing power with his athleticism. That’s what we saw in Iowa this year, and we felt this was the right time to bring him up to provide some of that here.”
Cubs teammates were happy to see Morel in the clubhouse.
"He is the best kind of teammate,” rookie first baseman Matt Mervis said. “He is always happy and always smiling. The thing you know about Chris is he will always play hard no matter what position he is at. He plays very well all over the place. His outlook every day at Iowa was incredible – show up and be positive. He was happy to be there, and he always played to the max.”
Morel is happy to play anywhere the Cubs need him. He played second base Tuesday and was the Cubs’ designated hitter Wednesday.
“I want to be a superstar,” Morel said. “Everywhere I play, I want to be the best player I can be for my team. I want to be there for my teammates and the Cubs organization.
“Right now, I don't think about what position they play me at. I just will enjoy playing wherever the team needs me. Getting a W is the point of the game. We focus on getting a championship here. It's simple for me on defense – just concentrate on catching the ball and being smart at that position. Just always think about what to do correctly at each position. Hitting-wise, I concentrated on my timing and hitting good pitches. Just slow the game down and play the game in a smart way.”
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Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.