That’s it, friends. The Cubs Cactus League schedule is in the books, marked by a 7-2 loss to the Cardinals that meant nothing. With that, we’re just one sleep away from the real thing.

I’m excited. I have a massive 2024 MLB Season Preview dropping today at BN, and I’m working on a list of breakout candidates and rookies to know for the 2024 season that will be live on Saturday in this week’s edition of The Stretch.

But first, let’s discuss some Cubs Cactus League stat lines that don’t matter unless they can carry these numbers into the season, in which case they totally matter.

I kid. But these were so damn good that they deserve five minutes of our time here today.

1. Shōta Imanaga: 9.2 IP, 19 K, 46.3% strikeout rate, 17.69 K/9

2. Seiya Suzuki: .459/.512/1.081/1.593, 6 HR, 12 RBI, 13 R

Seeing Shōta strike out the world in the Cactus League was nice. The ERA is a bit high, but these are Spring Training stats, and we’re only looking at the good ones we care about.

Again, I kid. But seriously, as Shōta won’t strike opposing hitters out at a 46 percent clip, his ERA should also move toward the mean in the regular season. Still, watching the new guy mow inferior hitters down at a wild rate in Mesa was fun.

However, I think Seiya Suzuki’s batting line this spring will be one of those Arizona stat lines that carry over. In fact, he’s on my breakout candidates list for this week’s The Stretch column.

How does a player who hit 20 home runs and posted a 3.2 fWAR last season “break out?” Something to the tune of 25-plus home runs, another 20 RBI, and an fWAR in the ballpark of five. I think Seiya is on the cusp of a breakout season for the Cubs, which I’ll dive deeper into this weekend.

But for now, consider my belief in Suzuki and how well that suits Jed Hoyer’s belief that the Cubs will have to overperform this year to make the playoffs.

More on that here ….

More Chicago Cubs from Bleacher Nation

• The injury to would-be Cardinals center fielder Dylan Carlson is reportedly an AC joint sprain so that he will begin the season on the Injured List. Since Carlson was filling in for Tommy Edman (wrist), the Cardinals had to figure out a plan for center field until Carlson returns in however many weeks it takes to heal. The plan is to promote top-100 prospect Victor Scott II straight from Double-A. 

• What’s going on at San Diego Studios these days? This Dansby Swanson home run celebration in MLB The Show 24 is ridiculous!

More Chicago Sports from Bleacher Nation

Chicago Bears

• The Bears and Texans will kick off the 2024 NFL Preseason slate in Canton at the Hall of Fame Game!

• It sure is starting to sound like Arlington Heights fumbled the bag when it comes to locking in Arlington Park as the future home of a Chicago Bears stadium.

Chicago Bulls

• Eli has an updated look at the Chicago Bulls NBA Draft Lottery outlook (and how it may change down the stretch.

What’s on deck?

• Bulls vs. Pacers | 7:00 PM CT | NBC Sports Chicago