Cub Down: Key Factors Driving Chicago's Struggles
The Chicago Cubs entered the 2024 MLB season as the leading contenders to win the NL Central, aiming to secure their first postseason appearance since 2020. The team showed promise in late March and April, boasting a high-powered offense on a determined path to National League dominance. However, they now find themselves in a battle to avoid last-place, trailing the first-place Milwaukee Brewers by seven and a half games and with the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates just a half-game behind. The opening month of the season displayed a rebuilding franchise on the up-and-up but the recent month has been marred by a 25-15 record, with lingering offseason questions rearing their ugly little heads. With 90 games remaining before postseason baseball, there is ample opportunity for the Cubs to catch up to Milwaukee and make a playoff push. The team must first address critical areas of concern before the July 30th trade deadline.
Bolstering The Bullpen
The speculated demise of the Chicago Cubs heading into the season was tied to question marks surrounding starting pitching. Nevertheless, ace pitchers Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Javier Assad, and reliable rookie Ben Brown have established a formidable starting rotation thus far. Losing Brown to a neck injury and Jordan Wicks to a right oblique strain has exacerbated the Cubs’ misfortune but much of the Cubs' self-inflicted bullet wounds are a product of not starting pitching but bullpen scarcity. Heading into Friday’s series opener against rival St. Louis, the Cubs ranked 25th in the MLB with an ERA of 4.50 and trailed only the White Sox in blown leads. Chicago would have a 50-19 record and an eight-game lead over Milwaukee if their bullpen had provided relief pitching that had been more sustainable. The Cubbies urgently need a dependable and legitimate closer and should explore trade options to address this issue instead of remaining in oblivion. While beloved franchise pitcher Kyle Hendricks has been outstanding, pitching eight and two-thirds scoreless innings in five relief appearances, additional support is focal if the Cubs want to salvage the remainder of this season.
Sifting For Power Hitters
Help wanted: The Chicago Cubs' performance at the plate has been a non-factor after a blazing hot opening month of the season. The Cubs at-bats is positioned second-to-last in the National League with a dismal batting average of .229. Seiya Suzuki, Chicago's most efficient slugger, is batting a team-leading .272, with just five other hitters batting over .240, as shared by Cubbies Crib. Their admirable .311 OBS is overshadowed by a putrid .372 slugging percentage. Cody Bellinger and Dansby Swanson have not lived up to the expectations set by their performances last season, proving to be major disappointments for Jed Hoyer's team. Nico Hoerner falls under the same criticism but has since been medically removed from the lineup through injury; another proponent in the Cubs’ misfortunes. The Northsiders have a six-week window until the trade deadline to bolster their hitting and relief pitching. Failure to do so could lead to a further decline in MLB power rankings, a drop in division standings, and potentially missing out on a wild-card berth altogether.
