2023 Season Report Cards: Corner Outfielders |
For the most part, Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins have done a great job improving this roster, but more work needs to be done. That is where this offseason comes into play as the Cubs are expected to be aggressive for a second straight offseason, but could be even more active than last season.
Two areas that the Cubs have taken care of for the next several years are in the outfield, where both corner outfield spots are accounted for. With both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki signed for the next three seasons, the Cubs have two players to build around, although some would make the case that both or at least one or the other should be part of a trade package. If the Cubs are going to keep both of these guys long-term, they need to be more consistent as they go through their ups and downs during the season. However, they were also two of the best hitters on this team in September, which is what you want from some of your big guns. Here are our season grades for the corner outfield spots as the Cubs transition to 2024:
No matter what side of the spectrum you are on regarding Happ, the bottom line is that he produces consistently, which is all you can ask for in this league. Ever since making his MLB debut in 2017, Happ has always had the potential to be a good hitter, but for whatever reason, the consistency wasn't there apart from short spurts. You saw that again in 2023, where Happ had his hot streaks during the season, but also went through one of his worst stretches as a player. One thing he did do a much better job with was taking his walks, as he finished second behind Juan Soto with 99 walks while also striking out 153 times. Not ideal strikeout numbers, but the ability to take his walks certainly helps get him on base, and that is a big reason why many feel he should be the leadoff hitter going forward. From an average side, Happ hovered around .250 most of the season as he finished at .248. He added 21 homers as he was one of six players with 20-plus homers while driving in 84 runs, second behind Cody Bellinger. Those are far from MVP numbers, but they are still very good numbers that are worth keeping around for the next few years. Grade B-: Happ would get a better grade from a numbers side of things, but there is more to baseball than just the numbers. Defensively, Happ was coming off a gold glove campaign in 2022, but wasn't nearly as good this season as last. Happ also struggled to hit north of .250, showing you the length of some of his slumps. Either way, Happ will produce when he is in the lineup, and it will be up to the Cubs to figure out where the best spot for him is to get the most success.
Talk about a tale of two seasons for the Cubs right fielder. After nearly four months of less-than-stellar play that saw him get benched for roughly a week, Suzuki responded across the Cub's final 50 games, where he emerged as the team's best hitter for the last two months. To take it a step further, the Suzuki the Cubs saw the final two months was the one they had been waiting for, as he looked like the player they saw in Japan. At one point, Suzuki was hovering around .245 and just looked lost at the plate. Perhaps that benching was what he needed to figure things out and refocus because, down the stretch, he was borderline not human. Suzuki finished the season with a .285 average, which included his .341 mark post-August 10. He was one of the six players to reach 20 homers, finishing with 20 on the head and driving in 74 runs. Although not quite at the level he was at in Japan, this is the player the Cubs were waiting for, and if he can put together two halves like that next season, he will become the most feared and dangerous hitter on this team. Grade B+: I give Suzuki a ton of credit for bouncing back and taking his benching like a man, which was the right move. Playing in Chicago is always challenging, and the fans can quickly turn on you. What makes it worse is when you come in with the expectations that were put on you and then fall short of them. Suzuki was a victim of that the first year and a half in Chicago, but most fans fail to realize the Japanese game is vastly different from the MLB game, and it took Suzuki a little bit to get used to it. Now that he has gotten used to it, he is a different hitter and could be putting himself in line for a massive 2024 campaign. The Cubs also had Alexander Canario and Nelson Velazquez see minimal time at the corner outfield spots as they connected for a grand slam during their time here. However, with less than 15 combined games between the two of them, neither of them earned a grade this season.Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
