Wrigleyville Nation's Podcast - Chicago Cubs Discussion, News, & More · wrigleyvillenation.com

Ep 399 - Guest: Evan Altman, WBC & Spring Training Recap, Cubs Season Preview, Predictions, & More

March 23, 2026·1 hr 24 min·5 clips

Evan Altman says the World Baseball Classic is "baseball on the center stage" before MLB opens.

Episode 399 picks up with the Cubs on the edge of the regular season and the show back in its yearly prediction routine. Jeremy hosts with Pat beside him, and the conversation moves through spring training, the World Baseball Classic, and opening day this week. Evan Altman joins as the longtime guest who helps turn preseason hope into something a little more accountable. The group revisits how last year’s forecasts held up, then moves on to new predictions for the season ahead. It feels familiar and conversational, like a neighborhood baseball argument that knows which stats matter and which feelings still count. The panel keeps coming back to what the Cubs might actually get from the roster instead of what the projections say. Baserunning becomes the main thread. The show gets into stolen-base lines, the effect of the new rules, and why the Cubs have been so aggressive on the bases in spring training. That opens into a bigger point about creating runs without waiting for a big swing. The conversation also gets into the tradeoffs, including clogged bases and fewer steal chances in some spots. There is optimism throughout, but it is the practical kind. The hosts and guest keep asking whether the pieces fit, whether the approach holds up, and which players are most likely to matter once the games count. The discussion leaves room for humor and side comments, but it always circles back to baseball logic. By the time the show wraps, it has done what this kind of Cubs roundtable is for: weigh hope against the details and leave listeners with a clearer sense of the season ahead.

As heard by us

A conversational Cubs preview built around spring optimism, prediction recaps, and base-running talk.

Jeremy, Pat, and Evan Altman of Cubs Insider stay in familiar territory here, with episode 399 built around spring training, the World Baseball Classic, and the road to opening day.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want Cubs predictions with accountability attached.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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