The Chicago Cubs are in a tailspin, and after a recent 7-0 humiliation by the Milwaukee Brewers, fans are left questioning the team’s direction. With the Cubs now languishing 9.0 games behind the NL Central leaders, the organization finds itself in a precarious position, having recorded a dismal 11-15 record over their last 26 games. This decline is highlighted by an offense that simply isn’t producing; during this stretch, the Cubs have managed to scrape together only 92 runs, averaging a meager 3.5 runs per game while batting a paltry .227 with an OPS of .649. In stark contrast, prior to this slump, the Cubs were scoring 5.3 runs per game with a batting average of .256 and an OPS of .773.
But it’s not just the bats that are failing—the pitching staff has also seen a dip in performance. After boasting an impressive ERA of 3.77 back in mid-July, the team’s ERA has swelled to 4.08 over the last 26 games, which is particularly concerning when paired with an underperforming offense.
In the midst of this chaos, the name on every Cubs fan’s lips is Owen Caissie. The highly-touted prospect has been lighting it up at Triple-A Iowa, where he posted a .289 batting average, belted 22 home runs, and recorded an impressive OPS of .955 this season. Yet, despite his hot streak, the Cubs have barely utilized him since his call-up. After five games with limited action, Caissie finally saw some playtime but managed just one hit in eight at-bats.
Despite calls from fans and analysts to shake up the lineup, Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer has poured cold water on the idea of relying on Caissie as a savior. “You have three really good players that would be playing ahead of him,” Hoyer stated, referring to the struggling outfield trio of Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ. The GM emphasized that while Caissie will get some opportunities, he won’t be displacing veterans who are still expected to contribute.
This begs the question: why not give Caissie a chance? How long can the Cubs afford to wait before acknowledging that their star outfielders are not performing at the level needed to win games? Hoyer offered an answer that may frustrate fans further. “Hit your best players at the top of the lineup,” he insisted, citing the wisdom imparted to him by renowned baseball analyst Bill James. Hoyer believes in the principle of maximizing at-bats for the team’s best hitters, arguing that lineup construction isn’t the answer to the Cubs’ woes.
As the Cubs continue to struggle, Hoyer remains committed to his veterans, suggesting that the solution lies not in changing the order of the lineup but in waiting for the team’s established players to rediscover their form. “What I’m really saying is I just think that the answers to our struggles are not lineup construction,” he explained. “Our best players haven’t been producing at the level they were in the first half. That’s the reason that we’re not scoring as many runs. It’s not the order in which they go to the plate.”
With the season hanging in the balance, the Cubs’ leadership appears resolute in their belief that their current roster can turn things around. But for a fan base yearning for change, the clock is ticking, and the pressure is mounting. Will the Cubs continue to rely on their veterans, or will they finally turn to the fresh talent in Owen Caissie to spark a revival? The answers may determine the fate of their season.
