The Chicago Cubs know they have a leader in Ian Happ. His manner of conduct on and off the field makes him a role model for all younger players entering the game of baseball. He has so many in Chicago rooting for him.
Happ serves as the Cubs player representative in the MLBPA. After all the greats of the 2016 World Series team departed, this truly became his team. He’s become one with the fans who frequent the left field bleachers daily and has said numerous times he wants to play his entire career in a Cubs uniform.
A big reason the Cubs love him is his ability to punish the teams within their division. Being from Pittsburgh and going to school in Cincinnati, Happ seems to have some extra motivation when he plays the Pirates and Reds. But that carries over to the rest of the division, too. Since 1994, Happ has hit 82 home runs off of divisional opponents, the sixth-most by any Cub in that timeframe.
But Happ’s 2024 campaign did not begin as he or the Cubs planned. He was finding his walks, but the solid contact was not there. Manager Craig Counsell moved him up and down the lineup, trying to find a groove for him to get in. Unfortunately, it came to a point where he just needed a few days to sit out of games and reset his approach and mindset at the plate. So far, it looks like things are clicking.
Cubs Delighted To See Ian Happ Turning Things Around
The Cubs’ offense as a whole has gone virtually silent throughout the month of May. But they’re hoping everyone, including Ian Happ, is turning a corner. Over the last seven days, Happ has a batting average of .313 and has launched three home runs. Those dingers and his seven runs batted in during that time lead the team during this stretch.
Happ’s batting average is still subpar for the season, sitting at .226. But believe it or not, it was much worse than that 15 days ago. Happ may be on the way back up, and hopefully, it’s contagious to his teammates.
We’ve also seen Cody Bellinger turn a corner. He’s batting .391 in his last seven games. Michael Busch launched a home run on Tuesday night but continues to struggle compared to the beginning of his season. The Cubs’ team batting average is down at .227, bad enough for the fifth worst in baseball.
In contrast, the Cubs’ starting rotation has one of the best earned run averages in the game. Even after Shota Imanaga’s debacle on Wednesday night, his ERA is still below two. The offense needs to do more to give their starters more run support and the bullpen more wiggle room to avoid having to throw perfectly.
Happ will get to face the Cincinnati Reds this weekend at Wrigley Field. Hopefully, the first weekend of June will be the turning point for Happ and the rest of the Cubs’ offense. Plus, after the Reds, they get two at home against their foes to the south, the very, very bad Chicago White Sox.
