On Friday afternoon, the Chicago Cubs will begin a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field.
Most recently, the Cubs won 7-6 against the Athletics, as Chicago avoided the sweep by scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Third baseman Alex Bregman went 1-for-4 in the win on Thursday.
Chicago Cubs Third Baseman Called Out
Despite the win, it has been a rough go of it lately for the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have dropped to fourth place in the National League Central.
Now, the team’s biggest addition this offseason, Alex Bregman, is being signaled out as needing to be better.
JustBaseball’s Carson Wolf said that Bregman “needs to be who the Cubs paid him to be.” Wolf wrote:
“The organization viewed him as a clubhouse leader, steady defender, and proven middle-of-the-order bat. However, he has not been the same guy we’ve seen in the past through the first two months of the season.
If the Cubs are going to seriously compete this year, he needs to turn things around and be the player he was paid to be.”
Wolf added: “Bregman has yet to fully meet the expectations that came with his arrival in Chicago.
The biggest issue with his production has been the lack of power at the plate. He has hit just five home runs through the Cubs’ first two-plus months of the season, putting him on pace for only 13 over the full year. Compared to the rest of the league’s third basemen, Bregman falls around the middle of the pack in most major offensive categories. While that level of production isn’t necessarily make or break for Chicago’s lineup, it falls short of what they had envisioned when handing him the third-largest contract in franchise history.”
Reason for Optimism Regarding Bregman
Fortunately for Cubs fans, this start is nothing new to Alex Bregman. In 2024, his last season with the Houston Astros, Bregman had a .662 OPS after 62 games. Bregman would then finish strong as he totaled a .768 OPS and a 117 WRC+. He posted a .822 OPS over the last 88 games of the season, which is something that would be very useful for the Cubs the rest of the season.
So far this season, Bregman has been one of several disappointing members of the Chicago lineup. In 62 games, Bregman is batting .255 with 64 hits, five home runs, 19 RBIs and 29 runs scored.
Defensively, Bregman has also been strong at third base. He currently has +3 fielding run value due to his +3 outs above average, according to Baseball Savant. Additionally, he is the sixth best third baseman in defensive runs saved, according to Fangraphs.
Despite Bregman’s bat speed declining, the Cubs third baseman refused to credit his offensive decline this season due to bat speed. Bregman said, “I really don’t think bat speed has anything to do with it. I think mechanics are everything, to be honest. I actually think I can move the bat faster and I’m stronger now than I’ve ever been in my entire career. The year I focused on bat speed in 2024 was the worst of my career.”
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