Writer's Take: Yes and no. It's hard to talk bad about a guy who's third in the Cactus League with 15 hits and a .500 average. But good average hitting was something we saw with Byrd in the first half of 2010, and it made him the Cubs' most All-Star worthy player before an ugly drop off in the second half. At 9 homers, 40 RBIs and a .317 average in the 2010 first half, I didn't think he was actually All-Star worthy neither then nor now. But he was the most consistent offensive player on that team and the Cubs' one automatic All-Star selection went to him.
Don't expect him to be an All-Star again this year, but he still will probably have a better year overall. At the end of 2010, his average sat at .293 which isn't bad by hardly any stretch, but he only managed three homers in the second half. To be fair, this wasn't a guy the Cubs signed for his power. But it's hard to make yourself relevant in a lineup when you aren't stealing bases, aren't hitting homers, aren't drawing many walks, or hitting for a great average.
On each of his 12 home runs, his home run 'trots' were actually sprints. He should use some of this hustle to steal a few bases. Mike Quade has already indicated that he wants his team running more this season, and Byrd looks to be a candidate. Stealing won't effect his batting average, but would definitely affect the production of the hitters behind him in the lineup. Byrd hits near the bottom of the lineup most of the time, and getting production out of those 7-8-9 hitters is a sign of a really strong offense. Production from that part of the lineup may have been the single most important factor in how the Cubs led the NL in runs in 2008. With a consistent Byrd who gets on base and gets aggressive on those basepaths, this Cubs offense has the tools to put up big numbers.
Ideal Production: .300, 15 steals, 18-20 homers, 70 RBIs, 45 walks
Expert Opinion: Byrd has a different mindset in 2011, writes Bruce Levine of espnchicago.com. A more prominent leadership role is something we could see from him this season with many of last year's veterans gone.
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