The Chicago Cubs have entered a stretch where their bats have collectively posted a team average below .200, a rarity that has left fans searching for answers. Since May 8 the club ranks 26th in runs scored, 25th in home runs, 28th in OPS and 27th in wRC+, underscoring a power deficit that has persisted despite a high walk total.
What makes the slump more puzzling is the team’s ability to get on base. Chicago tops the league in runners left on base, a testament to an on‑base percentage of .353 during the opening stretch, fueled by 179 walks through May 7.
Lineup Experiments
Manager Craig Counsell has responded by shuffling the lineup, keeping Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki in prominent spots despite both players striking out in nearly every other at‑bat. The moves reflect a search for a spark that the front office does not expect to receive from external additions.
Counsell’s tinkering has seen Happ bat leadoff while Suzuki slides to the third spot, a reversal from earlier in the year when both were positioned to maximize power. The experiment aims to balance contact and power, but early returns have been mixed, with strikeout rates climbing.
The inconsistency is underscored by a recent 10‑game losing streak that snapped a pair of ten‑game winning streaks earlier in the season. While the club has shown it can rally, the swings have left them hovering near the bottom of the National League in several key offensive metrics.
Upcoming series against the San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies will be a litmus test for whether the adjustments can translate into runs. The Cubs remain hopeful that their on‑base discipline can eventually convert into a more potent offense, but the lack of a marquee bat on the horizon adds pressure to internal solutions.