The Chicago Cubs’ current offensive funk might be bringing unwanted flashbacks to last year’s batters who endured a slump that stretched from weeks into the summer months.
That awful stretch, especially with runners in scoring position, helped torpedo the Cubs’ 2024 season and thwarted their efforts to get back to the postseason. As their offensive production has dipped over the last month, it’s hard not to think back to a year ago and wonder whether they’re enduring a similar slide that could wreck their end-of-season goals.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” president of baseball Jed Hoyer replied dryly Tuesday.
“You never know when a hot streak ends; you never know when a cold street begins,” Hoyer continued. “You think to yourself, OK, I know we’ll snap out of this, I know we’ll start hitting well, I don’t know when. It’s impossible to know. I know these guys are doing all the work.”
There are reasons to believe the offensive rut isn’t following the same path as what the Cubs experienced in 2024. A lot of that confidence stems from the track record of the first two-plus months of the season; breakout performances by Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch and the team’s catchers; and the addition of slugger Kyle Tucker to the lineup.
Despite the rough stretch, the Cubs still have one of the best offenses in baseball entering a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals that begins Friday night.
“What we were doing for the first two months, while unbelievably fun, I think at some level you kind of knew that wasn’t sustainable,” Hoyer said. “And then we looked at all the underlying numbers, we were going to have some regression. I actually think now we’re due for the opposite.
“We’re a better offensive team than we show recently. But again, that’s just the nature of a long season. We have a very good position player group. That’s the strength of this team, our offense and our defense of this group, and we’ll get hot again. And hopefully it happens fairly soon.”
Since the All-Star break, the Cubs’ .402 slugging percentage through Thursday was tied for 18th in the majors, while they were essentially at the league average in weighted runs created plus (101). Home ballpark conditions haven’t helped their power production with the wind blowing in more frequently than out at Wrigley Field. Although a boost for their pitchers, it also has knocked down some home run balls.
On an individual level, the Cubs need to get their most consistent hitters going again. Busch has seen an uptick in chasing pitches en route to a .153/.242/.254 slash line and a 45 wRC+ in his last 66 plate appearances entering Friday, and Seiya Suzuki was hitting just .172 with a .293 slugging percentage and a 79 wRC+ in his last 71 plate appearances — though multiple hard-hit balls in Wednesday’s win, including a home run, was an encouraging sign.
Cubs first baseman Michael Busch strikes out swinging against the White Sox on July 27, 2025, at Rate Field in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
“That’s a baseball season,” said Ian Happ, who had a 131 wRC+ over his last 18 games. “I don’t think that’s exactly what people want to hear, but it’s what it is — it’s 162 games. It’s not going to be perfect.
“Obviously our group isn’t happy with it. There’s nobody in here who’s fired up to have a little bit of a stretch of unproductive baseball. But we know what this group’s capable of. We know what we can do, and we really believe in that day in and day out.”
Tucker might hold the key to getting the offensive engine running smoothly again. He still is showing good plate discipline between his walk rate (21.7%) and strikeout rate (15.9%) in the last month. The power, though, has been alarmingly absent with just one home run in his last 29 games spanning 126 plate appearances.
Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker heads to the dugout after striking out to end the eighth inning against the Reds on Aug. 5, 2025, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Earlier this week, Tucker downplayed how the jammed finger he sustained on a slide in June might be affecting him: “It’s fine. I’ve got to go do my job regardless of how I feel.”
Manager Craig Counsell gave him a day off Wednesday, and combined with Thursday’s open date on the schedule, the hope is the reset gets Tucker going this weekend in St. Louis.
Typically a fly-ball hitter, Tucker has been hitting more ground balls when he does put it in play.
“I feel like I’m still swinging at pitches I want to and taking the ones I don’t want to swing at,” Tucker said. “Just pitches over the plate I end up fouling off or might swing and miss at times, and then I end up getting in worse counts and just doesn’t work out from there. But, I mean, I still swing at the pitches. I just need to figure out how to put those forward.”
Tucker and the Cubs lineup getting on a roll over the next 10 days could prove vital to their division title hopes.
The Milwaukee Brewers’ torrid run exacerbates this uneven month the Cubs have endured. Players insist that’s not something they can worry about, that staying focused on themselves and taking care of their business is the priority.
Of course, five potentially season-altering games against the Brewers — the final regular-season games between the rivals — await Aug. 18-21 at Wrigley Field.
“We have a really good team and a lot of talent in here right now, and I think we can go as far as we want to go,” Tucker said. “I’m excited to be in this clubhouse and play with these guys every single day. It’s going to be a fun last two months.”
Originally Published: August 8, 2025 at 6:32 PM CDT