Ranking 3 surprisingly valuable Cubs from the first half

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Once the Midsummer Classic wraps up, the Cubs will have next to no margin for error if they want to be buyers ahead of the trade deadline next month. They'll enter the second half seven games out of first at 42-47, looking to make up ground on a surging young Reds ballclub.

The leaders in terms of production have hardly come as a surprise. Last winter's big free agent signing, Dansby Swanson, paces the team with a 2.9 fWAR - while Marcus Stroman continues to be the epitome of consistency in the rotation, with 2.4 fWAR.

There are several guys who have really played well in the first half of the season outside of those marquee names, though - and without them, any hopes of contending would have already faded into the dust.

4 surprisingly valuable Cubs at the All-Star Break: #4 - Justin Steele

We all hoped Justin Steele would build off his breakout second half from last year, when he put up a 2.05 ERA from June 5 on, a span of 14 starts. The Cubs shut him down at the end of August with an eye on 2023. What he's done this season has been nothing short of dominant.

En route to the first All-Star selection of his big league career, the Chicago left-hander boasts a 2.7 fWAR - the second-highest mark on the team behind only Swanson, and a league-best 172 ERA+. He's been remarkably solid here in 2023, emerging as a legitimate front-of-the-rotation presence.

It's not that we didn't know he was capable of this sort of performance. We saw that late last summer. But to see him deliver like he has every five days has been a welcome suprise - and one that's kept the Cubs in contention.

4 surprisingly valuable Cubs at the All-Star Break: #3 - Cody Bellinger

Signed to a one-year, $17.5 million 'prove it' deal last winter, Cody Bellinger (when he's been healthy) has looked more like the guy who won NL Rookie of the Year and MVP early in his career, rather than the listless offensive presence from the last couple seasons.

He's brought his Gold Glove-level defense to center field, shoring up a glaring weakness on the roster on a daily basis, and his bat has been scorching hot since returning from a knee injury: in 21 games, he's slashed .351/.390/.487 and is up to a 128 OPS+ on the year, which would be his best since his 2019 MVP campaign.

His resurgence has made him a popular topic of trade chatter here in July and the Cubs' play in the next two weeks will determine whether he closes out the season on the North Side. But he's been Chicago's third-most valuable position player, behind only Swanson and Hoerner. If he can tap back into his power stroke, he could prove to be the missing piece of the team's offensive puzzle coming out of the break.

4 surprisingly valuable Cubs at the All-Star Break: #2 - Adbert Alzolay

Michael Fulmer was supposed to be the closer for this Cubs team. No one ever came out and said it, but that was clearly the plan at the onset of the 2023 campaign. But that plan quickly went off the rails. Thankfully, as the season as progressed, Adbert Alzolay has not only stepped into the ninth-inning role, but he's thrived in it.

Alzolay has made 33 appearances, posting a 2.29 ERA and 2.37 FIP. He's slashed the walks, evidenced by a ridiculous 7.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season. Inject the energy and passion he has, especially when paired with Miguel Amaya behind the plate, directly into my veins. Just imagine that in October in front of a packed Wrigley Field.

Since making his Cubs debut back in 2019 as a 24-year-old, the right-hander has bounced around in various roles: as a starter, sometimes out of the pen and, finally, landing in the closer's role. He's got the stuff and seems to have his feet under him. Heading into the offseason without needing to find a ninth-inning solution would be a strong jumping off point, potentially allowing the front office to focus on the rotation and offense instead.

4 surprisingly valuable Cubs at the All-Star Break: #1 - Kyle Hendricks

It looked like Kyle Hendricks had run out of gas in the tank the last two seasons. A season-ending shoulder surgery in 2022 may have spelled the end of his Cubs career. Instead, the 2016 MLB ERA leader has rebounded and solidified the rotation since joining the team early this summer.

The soft-tossing right-hander has made 9 starts this year, with a 3.04 ERA and 3.73 FIP. He's kept the ball in the yard, a keystone to his success early in his career, and boasts a 1.031 WHIP on the season. Given the immense struggles of Jameson Taillon (and, more recently, Drew Smyly), Hendricks' bounceback has been a life-saver for Chicago.

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At 1.1 fWAR, Hendricks has quickly made his presence felt, trailing only Stroman, Steele and Alzolay in that metric. His calm demeanor and proven pedigree will be critical if the Cubs are going to come out of the gates hot - and if they wind up playing meaningful games down the stretch, he may have one last chance to add another chapter to his postseason resume in 2023.

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