4 disgusting Cubs statistics that will make any fan physically ill

The Chicago Cubs continue to disappoint in 2024, with a dreadful 38-45 record and sole possession of last place in the NL Central heading into Saturday afternoon's matchup in Milwaukee.

While April seemed promising for the North Siders, the situation has slipped to the point where selling at the trade deadline is looking more probable by the day. The team hasn't won back-to-back series since April 24 and they've posted a record of 20-33 over the months of May and June. The record is reflected by unexpected sloppiness on the field, and here are four statistics that put this team's gross underperformance in perspective.

1. The team has made 35 outs on the basepaths (Leads MLB)

During Friday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Cody Bellinger contributed to the Cubs' lead in this statistic when he forgot how many outs there were and got doubled off first base to end an inning in embarrassing fashion. It was one of those plays that makes you scratch your head and wonder how an eight-year MLB veteran, who has historically been a good baserunner, could make an out like that. What made matters worse is the fact the Cubs were playing the first-place Brewers and could very well have squandered a chance to score a critical run in a two-run ballgame.

For a team that is supposedly built to excel in the fundamentals of the game like baserunning and defense, it's particularly concerning to see the Cubs at the top of this list. It's a good example of the general sloppiness that has plagued this team and helped prevent it from putting together a good stretch of wins over the past two months. Notably, the Cubs as a team have only been caught stealing 15 times, meaning the other 20 outs on the basepaths came from pickoffs, getting thrown out, or running outside the basepaths.

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.

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.