One of the Cubs' biggest weaknesses a year ago has turned into a major strength

Monday's incredible win at Wrigley Field came courtesy of a pinch-hit, walk-off home run off the bat of Michael Conforto, a former first-round pick who looked washed up last year as a member of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, limping to a .199 average, 80 OPS+ and -0.7 bWAR across nearly 500 plate appearances.

But, oh, how things change. After getting off to a slow start this season, Conforto has been a can't-miss bench piece for the Chicago Cubs - with his walk-off heroics just the latest example of the 33-year-old stepping up to deliver for manager Craig Counsell.

“What Michael did, it’s so hard,” Counsell said after the game. “He didn’t have an at-bat this weekend. It’s no at-bats in four days. There’s nobody on base. But, he’s got the ability to do that. And he got a pitch up and put a great swing on it.”

Conforto's line on the year is now up to a gaudy .323/.436/.548. Granted, it's in less than 40 trips to the plate, but the veteran has excelled - thanks, in part, to Counsell picking his spots near-perfectly when it comes to how he deploys his bench. Conforto played hero this time around, but the bench, as a whole, has been a major reason for the Cubs' 23-12 start.

Cubs' bench mix has made a world of difference during team's hot streak

Matt Shaw, a Gold Glove finalist at third base last season as a rookie, has settled into a super-utility role in 2026, and has not only brought tremendous defensive versatility, but has been a constant thorn in the side of opposing pitching staffs. The 24-year-old is slashing .278/.318/.468, with a ton of success coming against left-handed arms (.919 OPS).

Counsell has played the matchup game regularly with Shaw and breakout rookie DH Moises Ballesteros, protecting the latter from tough left-on-left matchups and giving Shaw regular chances to come off the bench and contribute. And what a difference a year makes - because last year, Chicago's bench... well, suffice to say it left much to be desired.

It felt like a constant revolving door, with guys like Jon Berti, Vidal Bruján and Justin Turner taking up a ton of at-bats, with sub-par results. One of the carryovers from last season, Miguel Amaya, has also been a key piece of the puzzle this time around, bouncing back nicely from an injury-shortened 2025. He enters Tuesday with a 111 OPS+, playing second fiddle to Carson Kelly behind the plate.

Armed with his most well-rounded roster of his Cubs tenure, Counsell is putting his guys in the right spots to succeed. And, as we saw on Monday, they're delivering when given the opportunity.

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