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.

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.