Chicago Cubs Star Hitters Have Work To Do

The Chicago Cubs have a pair of struggling stars on their hands.

Dylan Sanders | Apr 16, 2024

Apr 8, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ (8) is congratulated at the dugout by Cody Bellinger. / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

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Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have had some surprise success stories in 2024, but their stars are struggling.

The 10-6 start has them half a game back in their division and squarely in the wild card race, but things could be even better if some players can switch things around.

Star hitters Cody Bellinger and Ian Happ are two players that are fairing much worse than the Cubs were counting on.

Bleacher Reports' Kerry Miller says that it might be smart to worry . In his recent article exploring the 'hot streaks and slumps' around the league, he listed Chicago's cold streak as a 'buy.'

Happ is on a big slump right now, going 1-for-24 at the plate over the last seven days. Stretching it out to the last two weeks, it's slightly better but he still is batting .184 with a .564 on-base plus slugging.

The switch-hitter had his first All-Star campaign in 2022, but did not find the same success in 2023. He's taken another step down in 2024, which could be cause for concern.

The biggest change in his game is that he is chasing more balls and not making as solid of contact as he was before. These are things that can change and be improved upon during a season, so that's a good sign.

The Bellinger saga was one of the more interesting parts of the offseason, ending with the Cubs securing a three-year extension with him. The return has not been ideal so far.

His slump has pretty much extended through the entire season and is even worse right now. He has a hitting line of .180/.292/.295 for the season.

The biggest change in Bellinger's game so far this season is that he has a much worse whiff rate this season. He saw his whiff rate rise from a solid 20.1% to a poor 28.9% so far this year.

Miller is right in saying that it should be at least a little bit worryisome, but these are talented veterans and should be expected to pick things up.

Published Apr 16, 2024

DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders