With the start of the regular season in Japan almost here for the Chicago Cubs, the team is getting prepared for what they hope is a special year.

After a great winter, the Cubs have put together a roster that is much-improved compared to last season, which has them viewed as the favorites in the National League Central.

Even though Chicago brought in a lot of veterans, they also have some young players in the mix they hope will continue to improve.

Fortunately, not only do the Cubs have talented young players already in the Majors, but they still have some coveted prospects in their farm system despite making numerous trades throughout the winter.

With the franchise having high expectations for the year, they are going to need some of the young talent to step up and have impactful seasons.

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com (subscription required) recently spoke about Cubs outfielder Kevin Alcántara as a player who is going to have a breakout year.

“… I’m going with Alcantara. He’s the next option if a spot opens in the outfield or at designated hitter and he is plus at everything except making contact, but he’ll be fine in that regard.”

With some young talent on the team that should be playing prominent roles, Alcántara is an interesting choice to have a breakout season.

Considering the 22-year-old isn’t expected to be on the Opening Day roster, putting together that type of campaign would likely mean something happened to one of the starters.

If the talented outfielder does get a chance, though, he has performed well in the minors and might be able to come in and make an immediate impact.

In 2024, he slashed .278/.353/.428 with 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases. At 6-foot-6, Alcántara has the potential to still put on some serious size as he gets older to boost those power numbers.

The more obvious choice to have a breakout campaign would have been the likely starting third baseman, Matt Shaw.

Like Alcántara, the talented infielder performed quite well in the minors last year, and he will have the chance to start on Opening Day after being included in the trip to Japan.

While Alcántara is an interesting choice, he could make an impact if he gets the chance. However, the outfield is looking a bit crowded right now, making when he’ll appear a hard question to answer.