Unless Joe Maddon Pulls Off A Major Surprise, Here's The Cubs Leadoff Hitter On Opening Day

Opening Day is a little more than two weeks away, with Jon Lester scheduled to make the start against the Rangers. We pretty much know most of the starting lineup for the Cubs, but ever since Dexter Fowler left in free agency the biggest mystery each season has been who's going to be the leadoff hitter? Well, the Rangers announced their Opening Day starter and if Joe Maddon sticks to his guns, it certainly points to one player as the leadoff man to begin the regular season. Left-hander Mike Minor will start on Opening Day for the Rangers.

Soooooo, unless Maddon pulls off a major surprise, Albert Almora Jr. is most likely going to be the leadoff hitter on March 28, in Texas. As we all know, Almora has been A LOT better against LHP than RHP, so if Minor is starting for the Rangers expect to see him leadoff for the Cubs. In 2018, Minor made 28 starts for the Rangers, but only threw 157 innings. He was pretty much average, recording a 4.18 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. Minor gave up 25 home runs last year, including 16 at home. Surprisingly, Minor was actually pretty good pitching in Texas, posting a 3.45 ERA in 88.2 innings. Globe Life Park in Arlington was the most hitter-friendly ballpark in MLB in 2018. I can't wait for Almora to hit a leadoff home run off Minor and then have Cubs fans complain non-stop when he's not in the lineup the next day.