4 disgusting Cubs statistics that will make any fan physically ill

2. Defense checks in at -4 outs above average (11th in MLB)

Speaking of defense, the Cubs are also in the bottom third of the league in team outs above average, an all-encompassing defensive statistic that serves as a solid benchmark for how the team is playing the field. Being negative in this stat is bad, but looks worse when you take into account that this team has four starting players who have taken home Gold Glove awards with others like Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong more than capable defenders.

The main culprits contributing to the poor mark are Christopher Morel and Seiya Suzuki. Morel, in particular, has been dreadful at the hot corner, and he is currently ranked the worst-qualified third baseman with -8 outs above average and eight errors on the season. Although his defense seems to be improving as time goes on, learning on the fly is not ideal for the overall performance of the team.

It begs the question of where Morel's defensive skills would be had former manager David Ross stuck him there last year instead of making him the designated hitter. I don't blame Morel because he only got everyday looks at the position after Craig Counsell came in. Hopefully this year turns out to be a good thing in the long run and Morel can develop into a plus contributor in the future.

Suzuki, on the other hand, is a different story. For a guy who won five Gold Glove awards in the Nippon Professional League in Japan, I'd expect better than -3 outs above average which puts Suzuki at 38/46 right fielders this year. This is currently the worst year defensively Suzuki has had in MLB, which is particularly disappointing considering he hasn't even turned 30 yet.

3. Cubs have tallied 17 blown saves (tied for 2nd-worst in MLB)

The Cubs bullpen can take a large share of the blame this year, as the team has blown 17 save of 36 save opportunities. This stat can, in part, be blamed on bad luck, as closer Adbert Alzolay went down with a season-threatening forearm issue in May. Before hitting the injured list, Alzolay, who was likely pitching with a damaged arm, blew five saves in April and May, exceeding his season total of 3 from a year ago.

In addition to Alzolay, set-up men Julian Merryweather and Yency Almonte have also missed significant time, with the latter suffering a recent setback in his recovery. The Cubs' lone free agent addition to the bullpen last offseason was 35-year-old Hector Neris, who despite remaining healthy has proven to be completely untrustworthy of ninth-inning duties. He has allowed traffic on the bases in all but four of his outings this year, blown four saves and failed to step up as a lockdown closer.

If this team hopes to compete, finding a real closing pitcher is a must-have, among other upgrades like power hitting and a starting catcher.

4. .218 batting average with runners in scoring position (third-worst in MLB)

At the mid-point of the season, the Cubs find themselves only ahead of the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox in batting average with runners in scoring position.

Those two teams have a combined 53 victories, which is the same as the Yankees and less than the Phillies. This means the Cubs are about as good at scoring runs as two of the worst teams in baseball, even though their payroll is roughly that of both of those teams combined. Suffice to say the roster has underperformed dramatically in this department.

This lack of hitting and driving runs in has contributed to the fact that the Cubs lead the Majors in games decided by one run, and they've lost 19 of them. The amount of times this team has had a convincing offensive outburst is too few and too far between to sustain a winning record, let alone a playoff appearance.