The Cubs' most underappreciated player is leading by example in the early going

Put some respect on the man's name!

Ian Happ, the longest-tenured player not only for the Chicago Cubs, but all of Chicago sports, has wasted no time making his presence felt early on. If not for ridiculous winds at Wrigley Field on Opening Day, the slugging switch-hitter would have four homers in four games to start the year.

Instead, he'll have to settle for three in four games, after going opposite field in Monday's 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Before I get any further, how incredible is it that 'how far did it fly' is back? Straight nostalgia for someone who grew up in the 90s - you just love to see it.

No Ian Happ extension rumors as he enters final year of his deal

Anyway, back to what I was saying. Happ, 31, is now in the final year of the three-year, $61 million contract he inked back in 2023 - but even after the Cubs extended Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner, it's been crickets as far as anything public suggesting they'll do the same with Happ.

We're not here to debate whether that's the right move or not - but I do hope that, at some point, Happ gets his due. Because, frankly, we're watching a future Cubs Hall of Famer and way too many people seem to be unaware of that fact. It's totally conceivable he wins a fifth-straight Gold Glove in left field this year and finishes the 2026 season in the top-10 of Cubs all-time home run leaders.

And with Seiya Suzuki sidelined, Happ is turning things up a notch offensively.

A small sample size, sure, but in the team's first four games, the former first-round pick out of the University of Cincinnati has a 1.081 OPS and five runs batted in to go along with his three round-trippers. And while he may not have the flash of PCA, Happ continues to be at the very heart of this Cubs team - evidenced by his emotional comments on Hoerner's extension over the weekend.

These first couple of weeks give the Cubs a good chance to build some momentum heading into a tough stretch of schedule in late April. Happ is doing everything in his power to make sure that's the case with a hot start at the dish.