5 stud hitters that could transform the Chicago Cubs lineup

The Chicago Cubs are underperforming this year, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. There is a general lack of power from a lineup that should be hitting home runs. The corner outfield spots, which are traditionally manned by slugging position players, have totaled just 14 home runs from Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki combined. The most home runs have been smacked by Christopher Morel with 15, which is pretty good considering he spent the first month of the season in Triple-A.

Followed by Morel is Patrick Wisdom with 14 home runs, however, he hit 10 of those in the first month of the season and his bat has cooled off immensely since. In fact, I would contend that Patrick Wisdom's days with the team are numbered given his lack of consistent production. Dansby Swanson (10) and Cody Bellinger (9) are providing adequate power given the former's track record and the latter's month-long injury.

But the Cubs need more slug if they want their offense to truly take off. In 2015 and 2016, the lineup leaned on Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant to hit long balls and drive in runs. When those two guys were clicking, the offense was as formidable as any in the league. The Cubs need one or two of those kinds of hitters in this lineup to supplement the contact-heavy efforts of Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, and Dansby Swanson. Here are a few guys that are in the realm of possibility that would transform this lineup overnight and make the Cubs' offense elite again.

1. OF Juan Soto

Just imagine Juan Soto in right field instead of Seiya Suzuki or acting as the designated hitter instead of Trey Mancini. If he's in the field, the Cubs would sacrifice some defense but the dividends on offense would be worth it in my opinion. Soto consistently bops around 30 home runs a season and hits for a high batting average. But his real value is his plate discipline. Since his debut in 2018, Soto has gotten on base better than anyone in the league and he has yet to complete a season where his OBP is below the .400 mark. This puts him in a category of his own and inflates his OPS and walk rates to levels you just don't see today.

Unfortunately, Soto will not be a free agent until 2025 and that's assuming the San Diego Padres don't offer him an extension in the meantime. Even though the Padres will already have a hefty luxury tax bill presumably for years to come, I wouldn't put it past them to extend Juan Soto even though the team has been vastly underperforming. The Cubs will likely have to look elsewhere for their game-changing hitter.