The Chicago Cubs may have hit a roadblock with their recent loss to Jacob Misiorowski and the Brewers, but there's no denying they've been on the upswing after a challenging May and early June. Their recent sweep of the Mets has injected new life into their NL wild card aspirations.
Despite a slew of pitching injuries that would make any manager wince, the Cubs are still very much in the hunt for October baseball. Adding David Peterson in their first buy-side trade of the year shows they're serious about staying in the race.
But here's the catch: with the pitching staff in tatters, the Cubs' destiny largely hinges on their lineup's performance. Pete Crow-Armstrong has been a standout, and Ian Happ and Michael Busch have consistently delivered.
The real test, though, lies up the middle. Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson have been defensive stalwarts, but their offensive production has been more of a rollercoaster ride.
For the Cubs to make a serious playoff push, they'll need Hoerner and Swanson to bring their bats to the party. Early in the season, the Cubs were flying high, and it was no coincidence that Hoerner and Swanson were in top form. Hoerner was boasting an OPS over .800 into May, and Swanson was launching homers left and right, with a staggering .975 OPS during the team's early successes.
However, when the duo hit a rough patch, so did the Cubs. From May onward, Swanson's OPS plummeted to .434 with just one home run, and Hoerner struggled with a .174 average and a .456 OPS. During this slump, the Cubs' record was a disappointing 12-24.
The reasons behind their struggles are up for debate. Some suggest Hoerner's quest for more power might be affecting his swing, while Swanson's streaky nature has been both a blessing and a curse. Regardless of the cause, if the Cubs want to make noise in October, these struggles need to be left in the past.
Thankfully, there are glimmers of hope. Swanson's recent heroics in New York have been well-documented, and his batting surge has brought him close to league average with a 93 OPS+. Hoerner, too, has shown signs of revival, hitting six doubles over a five-game stretch.
The big question is whether Hoerner and Swanson can maintain their hot streaks long enough to erase memories of their earlier slumps. Keeping them on track is crucial not just for this season, but also for the future, given their hefty multi-year contracts.
With pitching injuries mounting, the pressure on the offense-and especially on Swanson and Hoerner-will only intensify. The Cubs' October dreams may very well rest on their shoulders.
In Other News...
Dansby Swanson Just Made The Cubs Deadline Pressure Even Clearer
The Cubs have spent much of this month staring straight at the same problem: the pitching staff is thin, and the injuries are not letting up. With five starting pitchers on the injured list, Chicago has already had to patch things together, even after bringing in David Peterson to help stabilize the rotation.
Dansby Swanson helped make the deadline mission sound even clearer by confirming what the standings and the injury report have already suggested. Jameson Taillon is still not projected back until closer to the All-Star break, and if Chicago is going to stay on course through the second half, the front office may have to add more than just another arm before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs May Already Have A Carson Kelly Backup Plan Brewing
Carson Kellys strong season has only sharpened the question the Cubs will have to answer later: how hard can they push to keep him when free agency arrives? He has given them exactly what they wanted behind the plate, but Chicago has a roster to build around more than one position, and pitching and outfield help are part of the conversation too.
If Kelly walks, the Cubs are not starting from zero, and they may not have to rely solely on the open market to solve it. There are internal catching options to sort through, and the long view could also run through the draft, where Chicago may be looking at a future successor rather than treating the position as an immediate emergency. [Read more 🡒]
MLBs Latest Idea Feels A Little Too Perfect For The Cubs
Major League Baseballs leaked collective bargaining proposal has already stirred up the usual debate over how much freedom star players should have, and how much control teams should keep once the bidding starts. The outline includes a tighter free-agency system, with shorter maximum contract lengths for players changing teams and for players staying put, plus a push to raise the league minimum salary based on service time.
For Cubs fans, the eye-catching part is how neatly it fits the way Jed Hoyer has run the front office for years. Chicago has long been built around flexibility rather than the kind of sprawling commitments that define the top of the market, which is why names like Kyle Tucker, Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto never felt like realistic fits in the first place. If this proposal ever becomes real, it could make the Cubs preferred path look a lot less like a choice and a lot more like the new rules of the game. [Read more 🡒]