Chicago Cubs: Addison Russell coming alive in month of June

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Jun 22, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell (27) uses eye wash in the dugout before a game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

In early June, rumors surrounded Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell. Since then, he continues to put his best foot forward on the diamond.

With a reported league investigation hovering over him, Chicago Cubs infielder Addison Russell did the only thing he can do: put his head down and keep working. If you asked the young infielder, the month of June may very well be one of the roughest of his life.

After his wife, Melisa, blasted him in a social media post accusing him of adultery, a friend levied harsh accusations against Russell. She accused him of physically and mentally abusing his wife, drawing immediate attention from MLB. Last week, she filed for divorce from the former All-Star.

With turmoil all around him, the 23-year-old Russell is turning in his best offensive stretch of the season. And, without coincidence, some of the Cubs’ best offensive performances came in that same period.

To get out of this .500 rut they’ve spun their wheels in all season, Chicago needs Addison Russell. If the first three weeks of June are any indication, then this team may really be nearing a turning point.

Apr 19, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell (27) reacts after hitting an RBI single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

A forgettable start to the season

A historic 2016 postseason, capped by one of the greatest Game 7 performances in baseball history, led to unrealistic expectations this spring. The Cubs won 103 regular-season games last year – and fans fully expected them to, at the very least, match that total in 2017.

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That’s not exactly how things transpired.

Chicago finished April two games over .500. Russell did his part, driving in 14 runs with a .703 OPS. Not exactly eye-popping numbers, but if everyone else did their part, it’s enough to keep things moving in the right direction.

Then, May happened.

To say the wheels fell off is putting it mildly. Russell batted .162 with a sub-.300 on-base percentage. He struck out in 28 percent of his May at-bats, recording just five extra-base hits in the entire month.

Worst month of his career

Prior to this May, Russell had never batted under .200 at the big-league level in a full month.

With the team languishing, failing to capitalize on a weak National League Central, there were more questions than answers. Granted, Russell always received headlines for his glove more than his bat, but these were nightmares for Cubs fans.

Add in the fact he drove in 95 runs last year – the most ever for a Cubs shortstop not named Ernie Banks – and the Internet was ablaze with people ready to demote him, trade him – the works.

Apr 15, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell hits an RBI triple during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports /

Home hitting hard to come by

You’re supposed to play well in your home ballpark.

It’s an unwritten law of baseball – really, sports in general. Unfortunately for Russell, the 2017 season has been anything but kind to Addison Russell on the North Side of Chicago. And not just in a single month, either.

He’s been downright awful at Wrigley Field.

Comparing his home-road splits, Russell’s OBP has a nearly-110 point split this year. At Wrigley, his .174/.244/.349 slash-line pales in comparison to his above-average .283/.352/.460 line away from Chicago. For those of you doing the math at home, that comes out to a 220-point difference in OPS.

Last year, it was just the opposite. Russell played his best ball at home, driving in 51 of his 95 runs at Wrigley. He opened the home slate with a clutch eighth-inning home run that still lives in the memories of Cubs’ fans.

He’s had his clutch moments this year, too. But it’s clear he’s not playing at a high level at Wrigley Field. One can only hope he turns it on like he did in the second-half last year, when he drove in 45 runs over a two-month stretch.

Oct 14, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell (27) walks towards the dugout after batting practice during workouts the day prior to the start of the NLCS baseball series at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports /

Heating up with the summer temps

Much like he did about this time last year, Addison Russell is stringing together some quality at-bats in the month of June.

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In 2016, the infielder drove in 22 runs in July – coming off the worst offensive month of his season in June. This year, coming off a dreadful month of May, he’s back at it again.

From May to June, Russell’s month-to-month OPS is up roughly 300 points. He’s recorded multi-hit games in five games this month, getting back to what made him successful in the season’s first month. He’s been more about taking what’s given to him, rather than forcing the issue as he did in May.

Simply put, when Russell hits, the Cubs win. You could make the same case for many of the team’s young pieces, but he’s been incredibly critical to the team’s success. Over the last two weeks, although the team’s frustrating inconsistency continued, he’s really made strides.

In that stretch, he owns a .342/.359/.763 line – with four long-balls and 10 RBI. (And that’s before another multi-hit effort in Saturday’s win over Miami).

May 4, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell (27) hits an RBI double during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /

Perhaps unsustainable, but still promising

Let me be frank. It’s not feasible to think Russell can carry a .350 average for the rest of the season. But that’s not what we’re asking for – or what the Chicago Cubs need.

The team needs him to put together productive at-bats, even when they result in an out. It’s about Russell driving the ball to all fields and taking what he’s given, instead of pressing and chasing out of the zone.

Chicago has too much of this young talent to think they’ll all perform as a model of consistency. There will be ebbs and flows. Should you need any further proof of that, look at the last two-plus months. We all know how painful some of the Cubs’ play has been at times.

If one-by-one, players like Addison Russell can get things rolling, we’re going to see more consistency from this club – at least offensively. With starting pitching looking up of-late, it’s time for the bats to hold up their end of the bargain.

And that starts with guys like Russell.

Next: Are the Yankees eyeing Schwarber again this summer?

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