5 mind blowing statistics from the Chicago Cubs' first month

Although the Cubs suffered a three-game sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins to close out the month of April, the team still performed well overall while getting unexpected production from old and new faces. With the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers ahead of them, the Cubs currently sit third in the NL Central with a record just above .500 at 14-13. There is plenty of room for improvement, which could probably be found by a couple by making a couple of roster moves, but there is still a lot of promising stuff to take away from the first month of the season. Here are 5 impressive stats from the first month of Chicago Cubs baseball in 2023.

1. Cody Bellinger's .641 slugging percentage

I don't want to jinx anything, but it certainly looks like the old Cody Bellinger is back after his first month in a Cub uniform. After a slow first week, Bellinger began to rake at the plate and he never looked back. After homering in back to back games against the Marlins, Bellinger is now second on the team in home runs (7) and RBIs (18) with an impressive slash line of .297/.371/.641 and a stellar wRC+ of 155. His .641 slugging percentage ranks 7th in the entire league among qualified hitters, making him one of the best power hitters of April.

Many were skeptical about the Bellinger signing when it happened, but it is starting to look like a steal as Bellinger is playing a huge part of the Cubs solid offense. Along with the return to form at the plate is Bellinger's ever consistent defense in center field and adequate speed on the bases (4 stolen bags this year). At just 27-years-old, Bellinger is making the case for a long-term stay in Chicago, which I am all here for if he keeps putting up these numbers at the dish. Bellinger has a mutual option for 2024, but he will likely seek a larger contract if his production continues on this path.