Chicago Cubs: Is Ian Happ the right guy to be leading off?

Should the Chicago Cubs keep Ian Happ at the leadoff spot?

After losing Dexter Fowler to the St. Louis Cardinals in free agency, the Chicago Cubs entered the 2017 season with a major hole at the top of their lineup. Without Fowler, they simply do not have a natural leadoff hitter on their roster.

Lineup construction is typically overrated but this has been an issue that has hurt the Cubs all season long. Coming out of Spring Training, Joe Maddon was intent on having slugger Kyle Schwarber be his leadoff hitter. Starting the game off with Schwarber, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo would strike fear into opposing starting pitchers. It was a great idea in theory but Schwarber never took well to the job.

In 167 plate appearances as the Cubs’ leadoff hitter, Schwarber is hitting .190/.311/.366 on the year. You always want your leadoff hitter to be selective at the plate but Schwarber has seemed to take it too far. He seems much more worried about taking pitches and working walks than driving the ball with authority as the leadoff hitter. Schwarber’s change in approach has taken away his best asset, his ridiculous raw power.

Maddon has now pushed Schwarber all the way down the lineup (he has now hit ninth for two games) to help take the pressure off and get him back on track. However, it has left a huge hole at the top.

Other Leadoff Options

What about the rookie?

In recent days, the nod has gone to rookie Ian Happ. Happ had a great start to his big league career with the Cubs but has really cooled off recently. He did have a big two home run day against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday but is still only hitting .150/.227/.325 in his last 12 games.

Happ started to turn it back around over the weekend so maybe he is about to hit another hot streak. If that is the case, he is a fine choice to be the Cubs’ primary leadoff hitter against right-handers. His plate discipline is great for a young hitter and he gets on base at a high clip. He is not a perfect fit but Happ is a strong choice to hit above Bryant, Rizzo and Zobrist.

More from Da Windy City

However, if Happ slips back into his slump, a trip back to Triple-A may not be far behind. His early success with the big-league club was relatively unexpected. It would not be a surprise to see the Chicago Cubs send him back down to get more work if he struggles. If that happens, who’s next?

The best leadoff option

I am still on the Jason Heyward as a leadoff hitter train. Heyward looks much better at the plate this season, hitting a respectable .258/.319/.404 on the year. He is hitting the ball hard with consistency and continues to work the count well.

Heyward has struggled against left-handed pitching (.195/.233/.268), but his .282/.350/.455 line against right-handers would look great at the top of the Cubs’ lineup. Plus, for whatever it’s worth, Heyward has hit a strong .274/.353/.419 in 584 career plate appearances as a leadoff hitter.

Whether Happ continues to hit well or not, I think Heyward is the best leadoff option for the Chicago Cubs at the moment. A lineup featuring Heyward, Bryant, Rizzo and Zobrist at the top would bring great stability and balance to the top of the order. If Happ can get hot, having him hit fifth behind Zobrist would be ideal.

If Schwarber if ever works out of his season-long slump, putting him behind Zobrist in this lineup would be deadly. Think of all the RBI opportunities for the Cubs’ big slugger.

Next: Logical trade deadline targets for the Cubs

When it comes down to it, the Cubs do not have any ideal leadoff options on their roster. However, a mix of Baez against lefties and Heyward against right-handers is something that could work. Happ is not a terrible option but the Cubs can do better.

Home/Chicago Cubs