After a monster minor-league season, is Mervis ready to do damage for Cubs?
The Cubs' offense needs help after a sluggish season at the plate.
Losing free-agent catcher Willson Contreras - he signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract with the rival Cardinals - is a big loss, but president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is addressing the issue.
Dansby Swanson is joining the Cubs on a seven-year, $177 million contract. He's a Gold Glove shortstop, but Swanson's bat has heated up and he combined to hit 52 homers and drive in 184 runs with the Braves over the past two seasons.
Cody Bellinger is joining the Cubs on a one-year, $17.5 million contract after he was non-tendered by the Dodgers.
A string of injuries have taken a big toll on the 2019 National League MVP, but Bellinger still has prodigious power and the center fielder will be an asset if he can stay healthy.
Hoyer strongly hinted he was going to look outside the organization for offensive pieces, and he has.
The Cubs will still be counting on holdovers Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Nico Hoerner as they look to get back on a winning track in 2023.
They also have a potential impact bat in Matt Mervis.
"Certainly, he's a big part of our future," Hoyer told reporters at the GM meetings in November. "We know he's going to get a lot of plate appearances with us, get a lot of playing time. We're thrilled with what he's doing, we know he's a big part of where we're going."
At the start of the 2022 season, Mervis was just a flicker on the Cubs' radar.
Undrafted in 2020 after playing college baseball at Duke, Mervis made his professional debut the following year and hit .209/.310/.367 with 9 home runs and 44 RBI in 73 games for low Class A Myrtle Beach and AAA Iowa.
Saying he needed to "get out of my own head," Mervis simplified his swing and had a monster season in 2022.
In addition to slashing .309/.379/.606 in 137 games with high Class A South Bend, AA Tennessee and Iowa, the left-handed hitter led minor-league baseball with 119 RBI and tied for third with 36 home runs.
Hoyer might go outside for a more proven talent, but it's looking like Mervis is going to be playing first base for the Cubs when the upcoming season opens with a March 30 game against the Brewers at Wrigley Field.
Baseball America - which has elevated Mervis to No. 4 on the Cubs' prospect list - offered this scouting report on the 24-year-old slugger:
"Mervis played both ways at Duke as a first baseman/right-handed reliever and showed promising offensive potential with Cotuit in the Cape Cod League. He projected to be drafted between rounds 6 and 10 in 2020, but he went unpicked after the draft was shortened to five rounds due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Mervis is a hulking left-handed hitter with plus raw power. He previously struggled to make enough contact to get to it, but he shortened his swing and honed his approach in 2022 to focus on pitches in the middle-third of the plate, leading to his breakout year. He has excellent bat speed and natural timing, and his improved swing path and selectivity give him a chance to be an average hitter.
"Mervis can be a touch aggressive on soft stuff below the zone and isn't as dangerous against left-handers, but he demolishes fastballs, has good strike-zone recognition and keeps his strikeouts low for a power hitter. He mostly pulls the ball and will benefit from the new rules banning shifts in the majors."