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3 Cubs who can put the team on their back for an unlikely playoff push
It's a long shot, but the Cubs aren't dead in the water yet.
The Chicago Cubs' 2024 season has not been what fans expected heading into the year. Nearing the end of August, the team sits 5.5 games out of the last Wild Card, and it is unlikely that they will crack a postseason berth. However, the Cubs are playing better as of late. The bullpen that served as an early catalyst for the team's downfall has rebounded and performed at an elite clip in the last month, and the team's 13-7 record since July 31st is good if they can manage this pace while getting a little luck from the teams of ahead of them going cold.
Still, somebody needs to step up. The Cubs have players who either have the experience or have shown they can perform at a high level while going on a prolonged hot stretch. These are the three Cubs the team needs to lean on going into the final month of play.
3. Cody Bellinger
The Cubs spent most of last winter honing in on bringing Cody Bellinger back into the fold after he slashed .307/.356//.525 with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs in 2023. The ability to play Gold Glove defense only raised his floor, and they brought him back on a three-year deal with two player options in the final two years. Bellinger has not replicated that power from a season ago, and though we were okay with some regression, now is the time he needs to go on a heater again.
A former Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Comeback Player of the Year, Bellinger has the skill set and experience to be one of the more dynamic players in MLB. He has appeared in the postseason in five different years and knows all about stepping up when needed. Last season, he recorded a 142 wRC+ in the second half instead of the 123 wRC+ he's currently sitting on. He's proven that he can be that guy, and the Cubs desperately need him to be the best version of himself to close out the year.
2. Seiya Suzuki
Speaking of players that have scorched Earth in the second half, Seiya Suzuki's 150 wRC+ last season in the second half showed that he has turned the corner at the MLB level. He, too, is at the 120 mark in the second half currently, but he has shown that he can be someone who can provide an offensive spark in critical stretches. Last year, the Cubs missed a Wild Card by one game, and Suzuki was about the farthest guy away you could blame for the team falling short.
This season, Suzuki has moved primarily to DH unless he is needed in the field so he can focus on batting every day and get into one of his grooves. In August, he has hit just .250/.325/.382, as opposed to the .299/.376/.546 slash he recorded in July. If you believe in peaks and valleys, it is time for Suzuki to step back up offensively. If he does, it will help the Cubs secure a winning recording in September, which is critical if they want to play October baseball.
1. Justin Steele
Justin Steele is currently enjoying another incredible season at the top of the Cubs' pitching staff. With a 3.07 ERA, he is the face of the starting rotation. Early in the year, Steele went down with a hamstring injury on Opening Day, prompting him to miss over a month. The only positive from that now is he has only thrown 123 innings this year, keeping his arm relatively fresh compared to where he may have been otherwise.
The Cubs will need him to continue doing exactly what he has been doing down the stretch. If he falls short, it will take the team down with him. Although they are on the outside looking in, this team has recently rallied. This stretch of games against sub-.500 teams is make or break for them this year, and they have been able to take care of business so far.
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