Player Spotlight: ADDISON RUSSELL

In the first inning of game six, the Cubs trailing in the series three games to two, Cubs shortstop Addison Russell stepped in against Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin with two men on base and two out. Tomlin put the ball right on the outside corner, almost unhittable, but Russell reached the bat out and poked it into medium-deep right-center field, where the center and left fielders converged. Somehow, the ball dropped in for a two-run double. Three innings later, Russell stepped into the box with the bases loaded and removed all doubt.

Addison Russell is so much more than just the heroics of that 6 RBI October night in Cleveland. Read on to learn a little bit more about the person, the player, and the combination of the two that makes this true-blue Cubbie a household name, and then shop for Addison Russell memorabilia for the whole family.

His Journey to Chicago

Born in 1994 and Pensacola, Florida, Addison Russell was highly-touted baseball player coming out of high school, being ranked in the top 25 national prospects by multiple baseball publications. Named an Under Armour High School All-American, Russell led Pace High School to a state championship 2010 and a losing appearance in the championship game in 2012.

He signed a letter of intent to play at Auburn, but never made it there, as he was picked by the Oakland Athletics with the 11th pick overall in the 2012 MLB draft.

In 2014, Russell was traded to the Cubs and immediately became one of the organization's best prospects in what, at the time, was one of the deepest farm systems in the game with Russell joining the ranks of players like Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javy Baez, over the span of just a few years.

Addison Russell's Career

Called up to the majors in 2015, Russell immediately took the league by storm. He played in 142 games in his first season with the Cubs, starting in 137 of them and hitting a respectable .242 while splitting time playing second base and shortstop.

The next year, the season of the Cubs' dream World Series run, would be the year that Addison Russell would make the jump to another level, being named to the All-Star team and finishing the season with 21 home runs and 95 runs batted in (RBI) good for 19th in the National League MVP voting. He went on to play as big a role as anyone in the World Series victory over the Indians with 9 RBIs in the series.

2017 was a season in which Russell posted a similar average as the last two seasons — .239 compared to .238 in 2016 and .242 in 2015, but missed time with an injury, causing his HR and RBI numbers to drop.

How's His 2018 Season Going?

So far in 2018, Addison Russell has put up numbers that are consistent with his steady production throughout his career so far. His .259 batting average is considerably higher than his career average, but his injury struggles have led to a decrease in power, hitting only 5 home runs as of September 1st. With that said, he was on pace at that point to challenge his All-Star 2016 extra-base hits total, hitting 21 doubles and one triple so far.

All in all, Russell is returning from his most recent injury at the perfect time. The Cubs are at the top of the division and look primed for another run deep into the playoffs.

What can you do to support your team? Shop for the latest Addison Russel apparel and memorabilia and cheer loud for your Cubs through the fall!