Chicago Cubs News: Prospects of the Month for May 2023

Hitter of the Month: 3B Jake Slaughter (26 Years Old)

.237/.287/.559 6 BB, 6 2B, 8 HR, 12 R, 22 RBI

Yonathan Perlaza was better than Slaughter in just about every slash-line-hitting category. That being said, Slaughter provided something to the AAA Iowa Cubs that the major league squad desperately needs: power. 

For the month of May, Jake Slaughter had four times as many home runs as the next closest Cub and he had more than twice as many RBI. I’m not sure if I’m alone, but I’m growing tired and annoyed by reading stories or listening to podcasts that are discussing how “the Cubs shouldn’t be this bad based on advanced metrics and intangibles.” 

“Michael Fulmer is just getting unlucky.”

“Eric Hosmer provides something in the locker room.”

“They have the second best run differential in the division.”

“They have the second best batting average in the division.”

“They have the best ERA for starting pitchers in the division.”

And yet they’re currently dead ass last in the division.

Results matter. The metrics are a good method for prediction, but at the end of the day the thing that matters more than anything is actual, real, production and that’s what Slaughter has done. His batting average and OBP leave a lot to be desired but the reason we like those stats is because they predict the ability to be successful at doing what you have to do in baseball: score runs. Rather than look at the average or OBP in a vacuum we need to look at the fact that when he is making contact it’s changing games. 

Slaughter has played in 24 games in the month of May and has accounted for 34 runs scored in that time period if you look at his runs and RBIs. Perlaza is the next closest with 19. We’re going to get into the weeds with advanced metrics with some of the guys on this list, but sometimes the results and current success have to outweigh the markers for future success.