The Chicago Cubs focused on adding players this offseason to compete for the final outfield spot.

The team claimed Justin Dean last month and recently signed Chas McCormick, Dylan Carlson, and Michael Conforto to Minor League deals. Those four players are currently competing with Cubs prospect Kevin Alcantara for a spot on the Cubs’ Opening Day roster. 

This ongoing battle between these five outfielders will happen all throughout the spring. One of these outfielders will win that fourth outfield spot and make the Opening Day roster. 

Let’s look at how each of these five outfielders has performed so far this spring. 

Carlson has easily been the best of the bunch through the first week of games. He has appeared in five of Chicago’s first eight Spring Training games and has looked solid offensively in his plate appearances. 

The switch-hitting outfielder is batting .500 (5-for-10) with one double, two RBI, four walks, and three strikeouts across 14 plate appearances. His OPS currently sits at 1.243, and Carlson has a 27.3% walk rate and a 18.5% whiff rate in those at-bats. 

If the season started today, Carlson would likely be the front-runner to earn that fourth outfield spot. He has hit the ball well and was in the lineup alongside all the regular starters in Friday’s Spring Training game against the Guardians. 

McCormick has shown some nice things in his first few spring at-bats. He has appeared in five of the Cubs’ first eight Spring Training games and has tallied some hits in those plate appearances. 

The 30-year-old is hitting .286 (4-for-14) with one double, one RBI, and five strikeouts across 14 plate appearances. He has a solid 11.1% barrel rate and a .444 batting average on balls in play in those at-bats. 

However, there are some concerns surrounding McCormick in those limited plate appearances. He has yet to draw a walk, has an extremely high chase rate (55.6%), and isn’t exactly hitting the ball hard with a 33.3% hard-hit rate. So, he’ll need to be more selective at the plate moving forward. . 

It’s probably a long shot for Dean to make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster. He doesn’t quite have the Major League experience and hasn’t really been known as a solid hitter throughout his Minor League career. 

Dean is also off to a struggling start this spring, hitting just .166 with one double and 10 strikeouts across 18 plate appearances. He has 36.7% chase rate, a 12.5% hard-hit rate, a 55.5% strikeout rate, and a 55% zone contact swing rate. 

Therefore, the 29-year-old is probably on the outside looking in at this point in the spring. Dean hasn't quite made an impact offensively in the six Spring Training games he has appeared in. 

Alcantara has yet to appear in a Spring Training game this year, as the team is taking a slower approach with their prospect following offseason hernia surgery. That means the Cubs’ No. 4 prospect is a bit behind schedule this spring. 

However, the 23-year-old is set to play in his first Spring Training game on Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manager Craig Counsell told reporters in Arizona that Alcantara will be the team’s designated hitter in that game. 

The Cubs will be watching their young prospect closely as that fourth outfield spot is up for grabs. Fans will also get to see Alcantara’s slightly new approach at the plate, as he recently said he adjusted his swing a bit this offseason to find more consistency. 

Conforto is the newest outfielder in the bunch after the Cubs just signed him to a Minor League deal on Thursday. With the former All-Star just signing with the team, he has yet to appear in a Spring Training game. 

The good news, though, is that Conforto has been taking batting practice at the Cubs’ Spring Training complex this week. So, he should be ready to appear in games sooner rather than later.