Chicago Cubs: Willson Contreras a season of highs and lows

Chicago Cubs: The wheels fall off

The Cubs finished the month of July 11 games over .500 at 46-35, tied for first.  They held on to sole possession of first place all the way until game 161 on Sept. 29.

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As for Contreras, what began as a something that resembled a potential breakout campaign went downhill in a hurry. In August, he hit a dismal .213/.323/.300. His sky-high July BABiP of .432 cratered to .291.

As bad as August was for Contreras, September was worse.  Posting a puny .152/.222/.242 slash, he limped to the finish line with a .103/.133/.241 over the last 14 days of the season.  And much like the Cubs, Contreras endured a historic fade.

Then there was the mid-September gaffe that saw Contreras admiring a non-home run that he barely turned into a double. Contreras apologized for the mental mistake but not before Cubs Manager Joe Maddon made a rare critical statement about the play.  Maddon, not known for calling out players, especially struggling players, minced no words.