Chicago Cubs: 5 positive takeaways from the 2022 season

Although the 2022 Cubs season is all but done with two games to play, it is evident that there are more solid pieces on this roster than we once believed. Before the season started, Chicago brought in Marcus Stroman in a surprising move, solidifying the rotation in a major way, while avoiding the price tag that comes with a bona fide ace.

This year was never intended to be a winning effort for this team. Signing Stroman and adding Seiya Suzuki on a five-year deal was nice, but 2022 was all about figuring out what these guys had to offer for the future. As a fan, it’s a tedious process to watch your favorite team rebuild and lose in the meantime, but understanding the vision and appreciating the process along the way is so much more rewarding once you finally reach the light at the end of the tunnel.

Sure, the Cubs could have went out last year and spent hundreds of millions of dollars in free agency and perhaps made a postseason run this year. Then they would have had to trade what they had in the farm at the deadline, be good for a couple years and then be in the same predicament they were when Jed Hoyer dismantled an underperforming core in their respective walk years last summer. Now that doesn’t mean ownership deserves a pass on spending – but the timing is everything here.

Thankfully, the farm system has dramatically improved under Hoyer’s purview, with a handful of young players making a major impact at the big league level, including Justin Steele, Hayden Wesneski and Christopher Morel. Given how long the Cubs have been out of the postseason picture, the season is certainly not a success. That being said, there are some positives we can take away from the 2022 team as we gear up for the offseason.

Let’s take a look at 5 such takeaways.

5 positive Cubs takeaways – #4: Ian Happ’s consistent showing

Last year, the beginning to Ian Happ’s season was so horrendous that he looked like a sure-fire DFA candidate. If you’ll recall, in the first half of 2021, the switch-hitting outfielder slashed an underwhelming .183/.296/.330. After what had been a roller coaster of production for the better part of the last five years, Happ has sustained his production over the course of a full season for the first time.

In the second half last year, Happ slashed .268/.350/.536. For the entirety of 2022 now, his line has sat around his current mark of .275/.347/447. In over 100 more at-bats this season, Happ has fewer strike outs than all of last season, while drawing nearly as many walks. On top of that, his on-base percentage has risen from .323 to .347 and while there has been a slight drop in power, he does have 61 extra-base hits compared to just 46 last year.

After being singled out as a prime trade candidate, nothing ever came to fruition at the deadline – and Happ hasn’t looked back. Now, he and the Cubs will have to see if they can work out a long-term deal this winter. Considering the team is looking to spend this winter in, it’s hard to see him being shopped again next summer, especially if Chicago is in contention.

Happ’s patience, extra-base power and grinder mentality both at the plate and in the outfield are all ‘pluses’ for the veteran. Seeing him finally put it all together this year is, without a doubt, one of the biggest bright spots for me personally.

5 positive Cubs takeaways – #3: Seiya Suzuki showed a lot this year

Stroman was a nice get for Chicago, but the surprise signing of Seiya Suzuki was on a whole different level. After coming over from Japan with a career slash of .309/.402/.541 over the course of nine seasons, Suzuki wasted no time in adding to his trophy case, winning NL Rookie of the Month honors in April, batting .279/.405/.529 with 4 HR and 14 RBI in his first taste of big league action.

Suzuki, of course, did struggle for a little – but that’s expected. An injury cost him a good chunk of the summer, but down the stretch, he really heated up and looked like a superstar-in-the-making for the Cubs.

In the first half of the season, Suzuki’s walk rate was at 11.4 percent while his strikeout rate was 27.0 percent. He notched a slash line of .272/.355/.451. In the second half, Suzuki has lowered his walk rate to 7 percent but also has cut down on the strikeout rate, shaving five percent off his first-half mark. Though his slash line has been slightly lowered as a whole in the second half, .267/.332/.441, he has recently been on fire with a line of .333/.403/.583 since September in 60 at-bats.

As Suzuki continues to make adjustments, he looks every bit the part of a player who can succeed in this league. Not only with an above average bat but with very solid defense in the field as well, Suzuki looks to be a core piece of the Cubs moving forward.

5 positive Cubs takeaways – #2: Starting rotation dominates in second half

Moving on to the real meat and potatoes here, the next two takeaways on the list are the key reasons the Cubs have seemingly become willing to spend sooner rather than later. The first being the incredible starting pitching we’ve seen from the Cubs here in the second half. Let’s face it. Pitching wins games (and championships). Yes, you need to score runs and play defense – of course. However, you simply aren’t going to get very far in this league without consistent pitching.

Post All-Star break, the Cubs are currently third in the NL in team ERA behind two division leaders, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. A huge proponent of that has been guys already in the future plans of the team and even more so now. At a quick glance, let’s go over a few guy’s second half stats who figure to play a role on the North Side moving forward.

• Justin Steele – 0.98 ERA, 36.2 IP
• Marcus Stroman – 2.71 ERA, 83 IP
• Hayden Wesneski – 2.18 ERA, 33 IP
• Drew Smyly – 2.83 ERA, 57.1 IP
• Adrian Sampson – 2.99 ERA, 69.1 IP

Honorable mention here would be Keegan Thompson who, over the course of the entire season, notched an ERA of 1.06 as a bulk reliever in 34 innings pitched. I’m more than happy pegging Steele, Stroman and Wesneski as a 2-4 and having some form of Adrian Sampson followed by Thompson in relief once Sampson’s day is done in the five-spot of the rotation. The #1 spot in the rotation will hopefully be addressed this coming offseason via free agency or potentially even by trade.

Aside from that, The Cubs still need to figure out what to do with Kyle Hendricks and Drew Smyly. Smyly is the only one on that list that doesn’t seem as much of a lock to be around past 2022. When it comes to Smyly and Sampson, it’s a tricky road to navigate. Sampson is younger and cheaper, but having a veteran presence (who loves pitching for the Cubs) in Smyly isn’t a bad path to tread, either.

Complicating matters even further, we also have to keep in mind that guys like Caleb Kilian and Javier Assad are one fine tune-up away from deserving regular big league time in their own right. Needless to say, the starting pitching has been the back bone of the Cubs’ strong second half. If the Cubs manage to land a true ace, this staff has all the makings of something special.

5 positive Cubs takeaways – #1: Key prospects having fantastic seasons

The primary reason the front office and ownership looks to be willing to spend is simple. The next core is on its way and it’s time to start adding the star power around these kids. Ultimately, the plan has always been “wait to spend” until the team could keep a competitive window open for the longest amount of time possible. In essence, there wasn’t ever much point in spending on huge free agents last winter when the Cubs never really had enough to think about hoisting another banner above the Wrigley Field bleachers.

After all the trades at the deadline last season, the Cubs now have a nice set up with several key prospects at every level. Guys like Nelson Velazquez, Javier Assad, Hayden Wesneski and Christopher Morel have made it to the majors. In Triple-A Iowa you have Matt Mervis, Alexander Canario, Jeremiah Estrada, Danis Correa, Caleb Kilian and not to mention top 100 prospect Brennen Davis – all of whom should be eyeing a call-up next season if things go as planned.

In Double-A Tennessee, the Cubs have Jordan Wicks, Jake Slaughter, Ben Brown and Walker Powell who all had great seasons. At High-A South Bend, fresh off a Midwest League Championship, you have Pete Crow-Armstrong, Luis Devers, Owen Caissie and Porter Hodge – to name a few. in Single-A Myrtle Beach, there’s Kevin Alcantara and more getting their feet wet in the pros.

First, you get the farm in place. Then, you spend the big bucks to keep a competitive window open for years to come. A powerhouse like the Dodgers, who spend like they’re playing with Monopoly money, while simultaneously possessing a seemingly endless pipeline of prospects serve as a solid example of what the Cubs should be looking to become. This season may not have ended with a ring – but there’s a lot to like about what we saw in 2022 – and what it means for the future.