3 Cubs players who are vital to the team's success in the final month

The Chicago Cubs are heading into the final month of the season with everything still on the line. Every game matters, and while success will require contributions up and down the roster, a few players stand out as absolutely crucial to the team’s playoff push.

Whether it’s delivering in clutch moments, anchoring the bullpen, or carrying the offense when it matters most, these three Cubs will play a make-or-break role in determining how the season ends.

1. Daniel Palencia

As the team's closer, Daniel Palencia is the most important piece of the Cubs' bullpen, and he needs to continue to be lights out. It's only Palencia's first full year in the majors, let alone as the ninth-inning man, but he has taken the opportunity and run with it.

The 25-year-old flashes a stellar 1.89 ERA in his first 46 appearances, with 20 saves, a 1.01 WHIP, and 54 strikeouts over 47 2/3 innings pitched. This is the first year that Palencia has been able to fully trust his triple-digit fastball in the strike zone, while mixing in his plus offspeed deliveries. But if Palencia starts to regress or gets injured, Chicago's bullpen will be in dire straits. Nobody other than Brad Keller comes close to the power and dominance that Palencia brings to the table. The Cubs simply need him to continue being that overpowering closer to secure close victories.

2. Kyle Tucker

Kyle Tucker is that guy who seems to make or break the Cubs' offense. When he slumped for much of July and August, the team went on its worst stretch of the season and surrendered first place to the Milwaukee Brewers. When he got back on track with a monster series against the Angels last week, the Cubs swept Los Angeles and scored 19 runs in the series. This included a 12-run effort on the back of Tucker's first multi-homer game of the year on Saturday.

Tucker needs to continue being that guy he was in the first three months of the year because he can fuel the team's offense while others are struggling. Even when he was at his worst, Tucker got on base and drew a ton of walks, giving his team opportunities. But the power stroke could mitigate the need for others to step up, making Tucker a vital component of the offense.

3. Seiya Suzuki

One of the reasons the Cubs' offense has looked broken is Seiya Suzuki's concerning spiral at the plate. In the first half, Suzuki drove in a whopping 77 runs, thanks in part to hitting right behind Tucker. But even though Tucker has slumped, he is walking at a 15.3 percent clip with an on-base percentage of .333 since July 1. So Tucker is still doing his job, but Suzuki has only driven in 10 runs in 35 games in the second half.

This plunge in production is hurting the team's ability to put up big numbers and overwhelm teams with big innings. The Cubs desperately need Suzuki to break out of his funk. He is slashing an abysmal .192/.344/.253 over his last 30 games dating back to July 23, with just one home run and six RBI. This simply will not work, especially if manager Craig Counsell opts to keep him batting third in the lineup.