Ian Happ cements his place in Cubs history, wins his third straight Gold Glove

Stop us if you've heard this before. Ian Happ is this year's winner of the Rawlings Gold Glove among National League left fielders. Happ is the first Chicago Cubs outfielder to win three consecutive Gold Gloves. After multiple Cubs won Gold Gloves in 2023, Happ is the only Cub to do so in 2024 as the Rockies' Ezequiel Tovar beat out Dansby Swanson at shortstop in the National League.

Happ was the leader among MLB left fielders in assists (11), fielding percentage (.997), Ultimate Zone Rating (12.2) and was tied for second in Defensive Runs Saved (8) with Alex Verdugo, two behind Steven Kwan's league-best 10. He was, most importantly, the left field DRS leader in the National League. He was also best among National League left fielders in Outfield Arm Runs Above Average (2.1).

No, he is not the flashiest outfielder in baseball with ridiculous speed and acrobatic abilities, but he gets the job done and then some. He is consistently among the top outfielders in assists in baseball. This season, Happ tied for second with Bryan Reynolds in outfield assists, just one behind Jarren Duran's 12. He also finished tied for second in outfield assists in 2023. Probably his most notable moment in the field in 2024 was throwing out Pete Alonso at the plate to clinch a win against the Mets on May 1.

Happ pairs this third consecutive Gold Glove with, perhaps, his best offensive season yet. The switch-hitting outfielder tied a career-high with 25 home runs and set high-water marks in both RBI (86) and runs scored (89). His 3.9 bWAR trailed only Swanson on the 2024 Cubs.

Playing corner outfield at Wrigley Field is tricky. One has to battle the strange wind patterns, a lot of sunshine with the day games, the awkward deep wells down the line, and the solid brick wall behind the non-giving ivy. For Happ to consistently play the position at a well above-average clip deserves a lot of credit.