To fans of any of the other 29 teams in major league baseball, the discourse surrounding Cubs left fielder Ian Happ can be quite confusing. How can an everyday starter with above average defense and a team high OPS catch so much criticism from Cubs fans? A large part of this comes down to Happ's inconsistency and lack of production with runners in scoring position. Following a stretch of games where Happ went 1-24 at the plate, Craig Counsell finally made the decision to give Happ a few days off. Whether this was a legitimate benching to test other options or just to give him some time to clear his head is unknown, but this decision may have ultimately fixed Chicago's gold glove left fielder.
In the 7 games since Happ's return to the starting lineup, he has gone deep 3 times, with a .323 batting average and 4 multi-hit games. Most importantly, many of these hits have come with runners on base. Happ has 11 RBIs in this span of 7 games, and while RBIs aren't a fully conclusive stat in determining how a player is performing, it means much more for Happ who has struggled so much in these situations.
What Counsell's decision could mean for Happ and the Cubs moving forward
The question now is simple: Is this version of Ian Happ here to stay? Following his 4 game multi-hit streak that included 3 home runs, Happ went 0-4 at the plate in Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. When Happ is hot, he's hot, but when he's cold, he's ice cold, and essentially a black hole in the middle of the Cubs lineup. It would be a beautiful sight for Cubs fans to see Happ bounce back in Tuesday's series opener against the Athletics.
Assuming Happ can continue to perform at a more consistent level, Counsell needs to remember that his decision to give Happ a few days off played a large part. Baseball is largely a mental game, and a day or two off to clear your head could help anyone. Next up for Counsell to give a break should be Dansby Swanson. Swanson's season average is still sitting below .200, and his spot in the lineup feels like nothing more than an automatic out. While it's unclear whether or not a few days rest would help Swanson, Ian Happ is evidence that there's definitely a chance for it to make an impact.
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