Emma: Cubs' Addison Russell's 'Going To Be Special'

By Chris Emma--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A frenzy has found its way to Wrigley Field this baseball season. The Cubs' youth movement has come to fruition in the form of budding talents, potential stars.

The Friendly Confines are filled with shirseys of Kris Bryant's No. 17, Addison Russell's No. 22, Anthony Rizzo's No. 44 and many more. This is the core that aims to bring big success back to the North Side, with Rizzo already guaranteeing a division crown last offseason.

So what does savvy manager Joe Maddon tell his young bucks about their full plates?

"Nothing," Maddon replied. "I don't talk a lot about expectations. I just talk about the process of the day."

Such would explain why Maddon and his second baseman, the 21-year-old Russell, get along so well.

Simply put, Russell isn't much for hype, even amid his superstar makeup. He's quiet and unassuming, keeping perspective.

"I just go about my business the same way," Russell said. "I keep my same work routine, my same work ethic, try to stay healthy and let things play out."

While Russell declined to elaborate on his pregame routine, he said it lasts an hour and a half. Each day, Russell attempts to tune out the noise, block the external pressures and just play baseball.

"Just go out there and have fun," Russell said. "When I go out to the ball field, just let it all out there."

Russell is the headliner acquired from Oakland last year in the Fourth of July deal that sent Jeff Samardzija away. He was deemed to be one of baseball's top prospects, is a Rookie of the Year candidate -- along with Bryant and outfielder Jorge Soler -- and carries the weight of heavy demands for the Cubs' future.

"If you want to live your life worrying about expectations, you're going to really miss the present tense a lot," Maddon said. "When you do that, it's really difficult to be consistent on a daily basis, it's difficult to deal with failure, it's difficult in a lot of ways."

In the eyes of some, Russell's potential is sometimes lost among all the other young stars. Many have compared him to Barry Larkin, in fact.

Through 32 games of his big league career, Russell has a WAR of 0.8 and is batting .252 with three home runs. He's also made some spectacular defensive plays. The highlight of his short time in Chicago came on Tuesday, when Russell slugged a walk-off hit in the ninth inning to beat Washington. His teammates mobbed him, and a dog pile ensued. Even the composed Russell couldn't contain his smile.

"I feel very blessed to be at this level, at this age," Russell said.

Then, it was back to the ballpark one day later and right into his routine. After all, this is work.

The sky is the limit for Russell, whose bright future in Chicago is just beginning. He just tries to keep the focus on each day.

Yet no matter how hard Russell tries to ignore the hype machine, despite the attempts to shield him from expectations, there's really no avoiding it.

"He's only 21 years old," Bryant, 23, said. "The kid's going to be special."

Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.