I’ve been trying to stifle any negative thoughts about the lack of playing time David Ross gave Alexander Canario and Pete Crow-Armstrong during the Cubs’ stretch run. Though I was never fully on board, I saw the logic in the manager’s decisions. Ross is a guy who will be remembered more for his veteran leadership as a player and several singular moments than for his overall body of work, and he leans on Chicago’s older and more experienced players because of his own late-career contributions.
At the same time, I can’t help but watch in awe as rookie outfielders Evan Carter and Corbin Carroll storm through the playoffs as two of baseball’s hottest players.