The Chicago Cubs' longest-tenured player is somehow the player everyone wants to move out of left field. Ian Happ, from my experience, has become a scapegoat of sorts for some of the Cubs' fanbase. Many who sit in the left field bleachers on a regular basis are outside of this group, but the group is always ready to throw Happ in any deal to get a superstar or move him somewhere else to open a spot for some unknown prospect.
I've done this once with another Chicago fanbase (the Chicago Blackhawks) and the disrespect for Seth Jones. Some of the criticism there has been warranted. In my Cubs example, I think the careless lack of appreciation from the fans creates a stronger argument. Here today, I say this: It's time to truly appreciate Ian Happ.
Ian Happ has a career .248/.343/.451 slash line while averaging 25 home runs and 78 RBIs over his eight-year career. Despite some early-career struggles, Happ is also a near-3.0 WAR player (2.9) on average for his entire career. Happ is consistent, does all the little things well, and provides a huge spark to the Cubs' lineup.
Perhaps even more impressively, Happ has three consecutive seasons of 3.0 WAR or better in Chicago. Happ posted a 4.2 WAR in 2022, a 3.0 WAR in 2023, and a 3.9 WAR in 2024. Happ has also captured three consecutive Gold Glove awards in that time. Those numbers are impressive, but the more impressive note is the company Happ is in.
Per Just Baseball, Happ is the ONLY primary left fielder to have three consecutive seasons with a 3.0 WAR or better. In that time period, no primary left fielder has had more than two such seasons. In other words, Ian Happ may be the most valuable left fielder in baseball, given his body of work.
Happ is consistent. Is he a guaranteed 30-home run player or someone who will hit for a high average? No. That said, the Cubs know exactly what they're getting from Happ for a fair price. Happ walks a lot, hits for a fair amount of power, can drive in runs (a real skill, as Happ alluded to on his live edition of "The Compound"), and plays incredible defense. For bonus, he's also a fan favorite for the person he is. Why would fans want to get rid of that?
Fans will have their takes given the eye test, but the numbers speak for themselves. Ian Happ is the most consistent left fielder in baseball, and for a sport centered around failure, consistency is a breath of fresh air.
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