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The Chicago Cubs are having an incredible season and are leading the National League Central division. Yet, lingering issues could plague the team, especially at playoff teams. Here are three players that Cubs fans are already fed up with, and want to see improve their play or leave town entirely.
The Cubs are emerging as World Series favorites this season, currently having the seventh-best odds to win. However, several issues are bubbling under the surface, including pitching. The Cubs' rotation is 11th in baseball in team ERA, so it is not the worst. Meanwhile, the Cubs' bullpen is 19th in team ERA, indicating that leads are not safe.
The Cubs may trade for a pitcher down the line to help bolster their rotation when the playoffs get closer. However, they need to get through with what they have, and every Cubs fan must accept it. These three players are giving Cubs fans fits, and they must find a way to do better down the stretch to help their team.
Ian Happ
Ian Happ recently returned from an injury and hopes to get things in gear to help Chicago win the NL Central and make a playoff run. But it has not been the smoothest season for Happ. So far, he has been maddeningly inconsistent, and it has made Cubs fans go wild over his inability to stay hot.
Happy is batting .259 with three home runs, 20 RBIs, and 30 runs. Also, he has just one hit in his last five games. After starting the season slowly, Happ went on a heater that increased his average to .274, but has since fallen back into a slump. Now, he looks to improve and get back to basics, as he tries to get on base to set the tone for the rest of the lineup.
Happ is a leadoff hitter in this Cubs lineup and needs to figure out how to get on base consistently to give them the best chance to win. When Happ does a great job getting on base, it gives Chicago the boost to score more runs across the plate. Of course, the Cubs rank fourth in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage while ranking first in runs and fifth in home runs. But Happ could make it better if he could do better at the plate.
Ryan Pressly
The Cubs have struggled to protect leads and are 19th in bullpen team ERA. Significantly, the team has blown seven leads. Despite not having one, Ryan Pressly still drives Cubs fans wild with his struggles.
Pressly is 2-2 with a 5.71 ERA. Overall, it has not been a good season for the former closer, as he has had some bad moments. Pressly imploded a few weeks ago, allowing eight earned runs against the San Francisco Giants. While he has mostly pitched well this season, that awful game has inflated his ERA.
Pressley would have a 1.58 ERA if you removed the eight-run game against the Giants. Regardless, outings like that can signal a warning sign, as the Cubs attempt to navigate the rest of the season and make the playoffs. If Pressly can avoid laying an egg like he did in that game, he will be successful, and the Chicago bullpen will have a better advantage down the stretch.
Ben Brown
The Chicago rotation is not awful, as they are among the Top 12 in baseball. Furthermore, they have a rotation dealing with some obstacles, as Chicago lost Shota Imanaga to a hamstring injury that might sideline him for a couple more weeks. But they also have a starting pitcher who has not been doing the best job.
Ben Brown is just 3-3 with a 5.44 ERA through 15 starts. While he has all the potential to pitch a good game, he has also endured many difficult stretches. The issue for Brown is that he labors too much during difficult innings.
One recent example happened in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. After starting the game with a strong six innings, Brown imploded in the fourth inning, allowing six earned runs. Unfortunately, facing the lineup the second or third time has proven problematic for the pitcher.
Brown remains part of the rotation as he tries to help Chicago claim the division title and make a playoff run. Of course, they will need better production from Brown and the rest of the rotation to compete with the powerhouses like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. If Brown cannot improve, things will get a lot tougher, and Cubs fans will hold their breaths through every pitch.
