The first season of the Theo Epstein regime did not go too well for the Cubbies. The Cubs finished with a 61-101 (37.7%) record, which had them in 5th place in the N.L. Central, 36 games behind the Reds. Here is a look at the players that made the biggest impacts for the Cubs in 2012, in my opinion:

Team MVP: Alfonso Soriano - 36-year old righty swinging LF Alfonso Soriano’s name kept coming up in trade rumors, but he didn’t let that effect his play on the field. Soriano played in 151 games for the Cubs last year and he was 147 of 561 (.262 avg, .821 OPS) with 68 runs scored, 32 homers, 108 RBIs and 6 stolen bases.

Best Pitcher: Jeff Samardzija - 27-year old righty starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija was the best pitcher on the Cubs (Ryan Dempster was dealt and that is why his name is not here) in 2012. He started 28 games for the Cubs last year and he was 9-13 with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He only gave up 157 hits and 56 walks while whiffing 180 batters in 174 2/3 innings last year which are pretty impressive numbers.

Biggest Surprise: Anthony Rizzo - 23-year old lefty swinging Anthony Rizzo tore it up so much in the minors, that he bumped All-Star Bryan LaHair to the bench. Rizzo played in 87 games for the Cubs last year and he was 96 of 337 (.285 avg, .805 OPS) with 44 runs scored, 15 homers, 48 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. He appears to have a very bright future.

Biggest Disappointment: Chris Volstad - The Cubs expected 26-year old righty starting pitcher Chris Volstad to replace the man he was traded for (Carlos Zambrano) in the rotation. But, he was a disaster. Volstad started 21 games for the Cubs last year and he was 3-12 with a 6.31 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. Volstad gave up 137 hits and 43 walks while whiffing only 61 batters in 111 1/3 innings last year……and that was pathetic!

The Chicago Cubs were in disarray the whole 2011 season. Whether it was Carlos Zambrano imploding once again or Marlon Byrd getting hit in the face with a pitch….it seems like everything that could go wrong did for the Cubs. The Cubs finished in 5th place in the N.L. Central with a 71-91 record as they finished 25 games behind the Brewers. Here is a look at the things that stood out to me in 2011:

TEAM MVP: Sure, 21-year old righty swinging shortstop Starlin Castro needs to work on his defense…..but he can flat out hit. Castro played in 158 games for the Cubs in 2011 and he was 207 for 674 (.307 avg, .773 OPS) with 91 runs scored, 10 homers, 66 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. The sky is the limit for Castro.

BEST PITCHER: For the second year in a row, 29-year old lefty reliever Sean Marshall was the Cubs’ best pitcher. He pitched in 78 games (0 starts) for the Cubs in 2011 and he was 6-6 with 5 saves, a 2.26 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. He only gave up 66 hits and 17 walks, while whiffing 79 batters in 75 2/3 innings this year as he was outstanding.

PLEASANT SURPRISE: 26-year old righty reliever Jeff Samardzija really stepped up in 2011 for the Cubs. He pitched in 75 games (0 starts) in which he was 8-4 with a 2.97 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. He only gave up 64 hits while whiffing 87 batters in 88 innings this year, but he walked 50 batters so he will need to improve his control.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: 26-year old lefty swinging outfielder Tyler Colvin looked really sharp in 2010 for the Cubs, so expectations were high for him coming into this year. But, he fell flat on his face in 2011. Colvin played in 80 games for the Cubs last year and he was 31 for 206 (.150 avg, .509 OPS) with 17 runs scored, 6 homers and 20 RBIs.