The Chicago Cubs had high hopes for outfielder Seiya Suzuki when they signed him ahead of the 2022 season.
He started his professional career in Japan in 2013 at the age of 18. Just entering his prime at 27, he came over to North America to begin his MLB career and he has improved each year.
It was something that his current manager, Craig Counsell, saw from afar for the first two seasons. As manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, he saw an outfielder that had a ton of talent.
Now that he is coaching him, he believes there is even more to his game that can be unlocked. Coming off the best season of his career in 2024, Counsell believes there is yet another level for his talented outfielder to reach.
“I think offensively there’s still more,” Counsell said near the end of the season, per Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. “I think he’s gotten to really long levels of consistency during the season; it’s just keeping it for the whole season. The little injury kind of set him back for a good portion after he came back. It feels like once Seiya gets going, there’s only a couple of outfielders you could put above him in terms of production. We just have to keep him in that place.”
Injuries have been the only thing that has held him back in the early going of his MLB career. He has missed at least 24 games in every season, including 51 as a rookie.
Despite that setback, he has shown that he is one of the best hitters, regardless of position, in the game. His wRC+ of 138 was 16th in baseball and the seventh-best in the National League. Only five outfielders were better.
What has him positioned among the greats in the game today? His approach at the plate, as shared by Sharma.
“This season, his swing-and-miss actually dropped to the 49th percentile, but his hard-hit rate was in the 91st percentile with his chase rate in the 94th. That combination of skills is what scouts seek when looking for elite offensive talents.”
We had seen that kind of talent in spurts in 2022 and 2023. 2024 was the first time he was able to put things together with consistency, resulting in a slash line of .283/.366/.482 with 21 home runs and 27 doubles and 73 RBI.
He even showed off his wheels on the base paths, swiping 16 bags.
“I think Seiya’s proven that he’s just a good, all-around hitter,” Counsell said. “I think he’s shown the ability to draw walks, hit for power, to get hits. What, .280 right now? That’s good. Hitting where he’s hitting, hits are RBIs a lot of times. That’s what he’s become consistent at.”
The Japanese import led the Cubs in every slash line category and was top four in doubles, home runs, RBI and stolen bases. If the team can find a way to keep him off the injured list, an All-Star appearance should be in his future.
