“Cubs' August Slump: From Playoff Hopefuls to Wild Card Worries”

It is no secret that the Chicago Cubs have been a different team lately. June was merely an alright month for them, but August has been even worse. They are slowly slipping and now sit 6 1/2 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. This isn’t as bad as it seems, because the Cubs remain in first in the wild card race. But it seems that there is still a lot to worry about regarding the Cubs. So far, the Cubs have a 4-5 record in August and have lost four out of their last six series. It seems that hope is slowly dying, so what is the reason for this trouble, and what needs to change for the Cubs?

How Much Trouble Are the Cubs In?

Overall, the Cubs have been very inconsistent since the All-Star break. Their starting pitching has been solid, their bullpen a little shaky, and their bats have been a huge problem. Starting with the trade deadline, many fans feel they did not do enough to better the team. They didn’t make any earth-shattering moves and ended up with a starter, two bullpen arms, and a utilityman. The starter, Michael Soroka, is already injured, and their relievers have been serviceable. But many believe that they held on to too many prospects and didn’t go after the right players. Although the Cubs’ front office could have done more, there is no excuse for the Cubs’ recent play.

The Cubs’ On-Field Struggles

The Cubs’ starting pitching, as of late, has been pretty solid and has done its job aside from a few starts. Their relief pitching has been a different story. Prior to the trade deadline, they hadn’t been the greatest, but they only went out and got Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Rogers. Although they have both been solid besides one of Kittredge’s appearances, this won’t cut it down the stretch. Aside from a few guys, they don’t have the stuff in their bullpen to win games when it matters. In 74 2/3 innings since the All-Star Break, the Cubs’ bullpen has a 5.58 ERA. This number simply won’t do it for the Cubs, especially as the season goes on. While the bullpen is seen as a problem, an even bigger one may be their bats.

Recently, it feels as if the entire Cubs lineup is slumping. Obviously, this isn’t the case, but it sure is close to the truth. Oddly enough, a lot of the Cubs’ production has come from the bottom of their lineup while the top has struggled mightily. Firstly, Kyle Tucker has an OPS of .689 with only three extra-base hits since the All-Star break. Similarly, Michael Busch has an OPS of only .520 since then. Moreover, Seiya Suzuki‘s OPS is .626 since the All-Star break, and Pete Crow-Armstrong has an unbelievable .163 OPS in his last 8 games.

These numbers are all extremely underwhelming and have played a big part in their struggles as a team. They have scored only 4.14 runs per game since the All-Star break, which ranks 21st in MLB and is nearly one whole run below their season average of 5.12 runs per game. The Cubs have been hard to watch recently, so what needs to change?

The Final Stretch of the Season

While the Cubs currently sit in a good spot, they have a lot of work to do; otherwise, there could be trouble. They are expected to get pitchers Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad back soon. Both of these guys will give either the rotation or the bullpen a nice boost. Down the stretch, it seems that the Cubs’ hitting, not their pitching, will be their biggest problem. Miguel Amaya, who has been injured for quite some time, is also expected back soon and was playing pretty well before his injury. They also traded for switch-hitter Willi Castro, who excels against lefties.

One other thing they could try is calling up either Owen Caissie or recalling Moises Ballesteros, who have both been phenomenal at Triple-A Iowa this year. Other than these options, there is not much more to do for a slumping team. While they can make changes to their swings or change the batting order, in the end, they need to light a fire inside them and start getting hits when it matters most.