15. Nick Wiliams: Nicky Dubs
This is another nickname that I rated pretty low last year, but have also warmed up to. Hopefully, some dubs come in Toronto that weekend.
14-13. Maikel Franco and Luis Garcia: Compa F & Compa G
The three Compas (short for Compadres) lost a member this year with Hector Neris demoted to Triple-A. It’s a shame as I was a real fan of the group last year, and the name doesn’t work as well with only two members. Still, it shows the ties between three (now two) players who rose up the minor-league ladder together.
12. Jake Arrieta: Snake
I’m a fan of the “Jake the Snake” rhyming here, even though the nickname is only Snake. WWE wrestler Jake “The Snake” Roberts made a hype video for Arrieta and the Cubs before Game Six of the World Series in 2016. An altered t-shirt version of this jersey will be given away Aug. 18 at Citizens Bank Park against the Mets to kids 14 and under.
11. Cesar Hernandez: Cesita
Hernandez got this nickname, which translates to “Cesita”, from his mother who was tired of trying to distinguish him from his father, who was also named Cesar.