Chicago Cubs‘ Cody Bellinger is congratuated after scoring a run against the Detroit Tigers in the … [+] fifth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reservedOccasionally, the best-laid plans go awry in a good way. The Chicago Cubs are a pretty good example of that.
Going into spring training, the Cubs were privately hoping they were building a team that would contend in 2024. Instead, Chicago is in the thick of the pennant race in the final days of August.
The Cubs hold the second National League wild card in a tight race. While they are 3 ½ games behind the Philadelphia Phillies, they are a half-game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks, 1 ½ games in front of the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants and three games clear of the Miami Marlins.
The NL Central title also remains a possibility for the Cubs. They are in second place in the division, trailing the Milwaukee Brewers by four games.
The Cubs can make their move this week when they host the Brewers for a three-game series beginning Monday night at Wrigley Field.
Chicago enters the series with momentum as it finished a 5-2 road trip to Detroit and Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Brewers are also hot as they are on an eight-game winning streak.
“It’s definitely going to be a fun series,” Cubs first baseman Cody Bellinger said. “Wrigley will be rocking and we’re going to continue playing our game. That’s the goal.”
The Cubs have been playing their game for almost three months since getting swept in a three-game series by the Los Angeles Angels from June 6-8 in Anaheim.
The sweep dropped the Cubs 10 games under .500 at 26-36 and the front office’s projection of not contending in 2023 looked prescient. However, Chicago has since gone 43-25 to give themselves a chance to reach the postseason for the first time since winning the NL Central in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
So, what turned things around for the Cubs?
“It’s been everybody,” manager David Ross said. “It’s not one person of area. We’ve done a lot of nice jobs in a lot of different areas.”
Ross rattles off the names of many unsung contributors, including closer Adbert Alzolay, catcher Yan Gomes, third baseman Nick Madrigal and center fielder Mike Tauchman.
However, Bellinger is the player who has fueled the turnaround after the Cubs lost 91 games in 2021 and 88 games last season. The Cubs signed 2019 NL MVP to a one-year, $17.5-million contract as a free agent after he had two miserable seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021-22.
Over that two-year span, Bellinger hit just .213/.258/.310 with 39 home runs in 243 games. By contrast, he batted .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs and 15 stolen bases in his MVP season.
Bellinger needed shoulder surgery following an ill-advised high five in the 2020 postseason and is finally fully healthy again. The 28-year-old has a .321/.368/.546 slash line with 20 homers and 18 steals in 99 games despite missing almost a month with a bruised left knee.
“He’s definitely a huge part of this team, impactful at first and in center and at the plate,” Cubs utility player Patrick Wisdom said. “To have him in our lineup every single day and having him around has been a lot of fun. A great guy to have in (the clubhouse) and out of the field. Also, I’m excited for him to personally get back to what he was used to doing. I’m sure he’d like to have the last two years back but to see him rebound the way he has is super fun to watch and super fun to be a part of.”
Nearly as important as Bellinger is left-hander Justin Steele. He is the Cubs’ top starting pitcher now that All-Star right-hander Marcus Stroman is potentially lost for the season after sustaining a rare injury with a stress fracture in his right ribcage.
Steele is a dark horse NL Cy Young Award candidate with a 14-3 record and 2.88 ERA in 24 starts. The 28-year-old’s .824 winning percentage tops the major leagues and he is scheduled to face the Brewers on Tuesday night in the middle game of the series.
“I put a ton of work in the offseason to get to this point,” Steele said. “I want to be the guy that we can rely on, that goes out there and gives us good start after good start. I want to be consistent. That’s what makes a really good starting pitcher.”
Steele could be starting Game 1 if the Cubs reach the postseason.
“If we make it, he’s going to be a big part of it,” Ross said.
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