Chicago Cubs: Is this offense really that bad?

Jul 22, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs pinch hitter Kris Bryant hits a two-run single against the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Team Batting Statistics

The Chicago Cubs continue to rank towards the bottom of the league in almost every important batting statistic. According to ESPN.com, the Cubs come in at number 22 in the MLB in terms of total runs this season with a total of 378(3.8 runs per game).  It is worth noting that none of the teams behind them in this statistical category have a record above .500 with the exception of the New York Mets who continue to hover three games above this threshold.

In terms of collective batting average, the Cubs are 28th in the league with a .237 average. Four out of the last five World Series Champions have been in the top ten in this category and the other team was in the top half of the league. The Chicago Cubs rank slightly better among their Major League counterparts in terms of collective on-base percentage. With a .314 on-base percentage, the Cubs slot in at number 18 ahead of playoff contending teams such as the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, and Washington Nationals.

Despite the power-hitting capabilities of Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, the Cubs come in at number 26 in terms of slugging percentage (.370). They rank 23rd in the Majors in doubles, 20th in triples and 16th in home runs. In terms of total hits, the Cubs are third-to-last in the Majors with 790 this season.

Next: Leaving ducks on the pond

Jul 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) hits a single during the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

W/RISP

A popular metric used to determine the success of an offense is batting average with runners in scoring position. A team could struggle in almost all other batting categories but if they are able to drive home runners in scoring position at a high rate they could still find success. Unfortunately for the Cubs, their batting average with runners in scoring position isn’t impressive.

According to Team Rankings, the Chicago Cubs strand 3.70 runners in scoring position per game good for fourth worst in the Major Leagues. Overall, the Cubs strand 14.44 runners on base per game which ranks 24th in the Major Leagues.

According to baseball reference, this season the Chicago Cubs have slashed .231/.341/.351 with runners in scoring position.

Next: Second half worse than the first

Jun 26, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (17) talks with manager Joe Maddon (70) prior to their game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Cubs offense has been worse since the All-Star Break…

Since the All-Star Break, the Chicago Cubs offense dipped to unprecedented lows. In this time frame, the Cubs own a record of 5-7 despite only facing opponents with losing records. They owe these struggles largely to a lack of hitting.

Since the All-Star Break, many of the Cubs best hitters have been in slumps. Kris Bryant only has seven hits in 48 at-bats (.146) in this time frame, while teammate Anthony Rizzo comes in at seven hits in 46 attempts (.152). Starlin Castro continued his season-long struggles at the plate, only managing six hits in 44 attempts (.136).

Collectively as a team, the Chicago Cubs own a slash line of .216/.298/.335 since the All-Star break.

Next: So what to do about it?

Jul 17, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Gerardo Parra (28) drives in a run with a base hit in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

What does it mean? 

With the July 31 trade deadline approaching on Friday, President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein has an opportunity to trade for a player that can help this team offensively. Various sources linked the Cubs to two such players.

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Gerardo Parra–Milwaukee Brewers

With Dexter Fowler struggling at the plate, the Chicago Cubs need a center fielder that can make an impact with his bat. The 28-year-old Venezuela product is having the best year of his career at the plate this season; slashing .317/.356/.505. If Cubs manager Joe Maddon doesn’t want to completely abandon Fowler, the left-handed Gerardo Parra could get starts based on matchups. According to baseball reference, the switch-hitting Fowler is hitting .211 against right-handed pitching while the left-handed Parra is hitting .322 against right-handed pitching. In the interest of creating favorable matchups, Parra could get the start when the opponent uses a right-handed starter while Fowler could get an opportunity against left-handed pitching. Last week, the New York Mets were in negotiations with the Brewers on acquiring Parra. Negotiations halted when the Brewers asking price was too steep. Reports now indicate that the Brewers have “a lot of interest” in keeping him, therefore; the Cubs will have to really sugarcoat a trade package to acquire this player.

Will Venable– San Diego Padres

Fox Sports reporter Jon Morosi reported on July 22 that the Cubs expressed interest in Will Venable. Since then, reports linking this player to the Cubs have been nonexistent. Regardless, Venable is another player that could offer support for a Chicago Cubs team that needs hitting at a reasonable price. He will make $4.25 million this season before becoming a free agent once the season wraps up. His hitting numbers aren’t as good as Parra, however; he still is an upgrade offensively to many of the players on this Chicago Cubs roster. This season he slashed .247/.318/.390 but has slumped lately only managing a .178 batting average in the month of July. Like Parra, his batting average against right-handed pitching is better than Fowlers, and he could take at-bats in situational hitting opportunities. Although he hasn’t been as good as Parra, he could serve a similar role at a reduced price–a combination that should appeal to a team that is reluctant to give up their top prospects in a trade package deal this season.

Next: In-house options

Mar 9, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Chris Denorfia (15) grounds out in the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres during a spring training baseball game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Help from Within?

The Chicago Cubs may not have to look outside their clubhouse for a boost offensively. Underutilized commodity Chris Denorfia played in 54 of the Chicago Cubs 99 games this season. He is slashing .296/.333/.378 this season and has the best average among Cubs players with at least 100 at-bats. Denorfia splits time with left field counterpart Chris Coghlan, however; extending his duties to other outfield positions could increase his playing time. Dexter Fowler has struggled this season, so there really isn’t much sacrifice in giving Denorfia starts over Fowler. Given the struggles that the Cubs have had offensively, giving Denorfia more chances at the plate could only help this team out.

Youngster Kyle Schwarber continues to hit well. If there has been a bright spot in the Cubs lineup since the All-Star Break, it has been Schwarber. In limited opportunities this season, he is slashing .373/.439/.627 in 57 plate appearances.

Next: The fact of the matter is..

Jul 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Cubs celebrate after third baseman Kris Bryant (17) hits a walk-off home run during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

The Reality of the Situation

Unless the Chicago Cubs part ways with some of their most promising young players (highly unlikely), the hitting fix on this team will likely have to come from within. The addition of one player probably won’t magically wake up the bats of everybody else in the lineup.

The scouting report is out on many of these young players, which explains the slumping as of late. It is up to these players to systematically work through their  approach at the plate and make the necessary adjustments to regain that hitting stroke. If the Cubs hitters continue to take good at-bats, the hits and runs will eventually come. The team is currently in a rut; the way they respond will showcase their character. With the addition of a high-impact hitter unlikely before the 2015 trade deadline, the ability of the existing roster to rectify their own hitting woes will likely determine the success of this season. Sometimes external help does little to fix an internal issue when this issue hasn’t been specifically addressed and still exists. This seems like one of those situations.

Or maybe Joe Maddon should hire that magician to perform for the team again. It worked once why not try it again?

All stats updated through July 28 except for player and team slash lines which don’t include the game played on the evening of July 28.

Next: Who will be the next closer for the Cubs?

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