Inside The Cubs

Chicago Cubs Need Veteran To Deliver At The Plate vs Brewers

Outfielder Ian Happ struggled to get it going offensively for the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres.
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After wrapping up the best-of-three NL Wild Card Round series against the San Diego Padres, the Chicago Cubs now advance in the 2025 MLB Playoffs. The Cubs took Games 1 and 3, both by the score of 3-1.

However, a Game 2 shutout loss had fans at Wrigley Field nervous heading into the decisive Game 3 on Thursday afternoon. Chicago prevailed and are now one step closer to the World Series.

The last time the Cubs played for the title was in 2016. A season later, outfielder Ian Happ joined the team.

Ian Happ has had five straight seasons with at least 105 hits for the Chicago Cubs. In the NL Wild Card Round, he has zero.
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In 2017, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native broke into the big leagues with the Cubs. After hitting .253 at the plate, Happ belted 24 home runs and drove in 68 runs during his rookie season. Unfortunately, he followed that up with a sophomore slump and a pair of injury-riddled seasons after that.

Happ wasn't the only hitter for Chicago to go hitless against the Padres. Teammate and third baseman Matt Shaw also did not record a hit or even get on base.

The Cubs can't afford to have Happ slumps at the plate continue

Ian Hap
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In the past five seasons, including 2025, Chicago's veteran has recorded more than 100 hits in each. Happ has had 138 hits in both of his last two seasons, yet he has not gotten a hit this postseason.

The Cubs struggled at the plate as a team throughout the three-game series against the Padres at Wrigley Field, with the team striking out 35 times against San Diego during that span.

Happ has struck out the most for the Cubs so far this postseason with six. Fellow outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong also has six, and third baseman Matt Shaw has five.

MORE: Padres Manager Mike Shildt Hails Cubs Player's “MVP” Performance

The Cincinnati Reds were the only other team to feature multiple players with at least four strikeouts. The Reds were also the only team swept in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, too.

The good news for Chicago is that Happ has hit in all five games he played in against the Brewers on the road. Furthermore, the 31-year-old switch hitter had nine home runs and logged 21 RBIs during the month of June alone.

Happ has been walked at least 80 times in each of his last three seasons.

With Chicago advancing, they will now face their NL Central nemesis, the Milwaukee Brewers. Cubs manager Craig Counsell knows how good Milwaukee can be as he was their long-time manager until two seasons ago.

The Brewers won five more games than the Cubs during the regular season. Milwaukee had the largest run differential in MLB (+172). The winner of this series will be four wins away from making the World Series.

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Scott Conrad
SCOTT CONRAD

Scott Conrad is a Beat Writer for Chicago Cubs On SI, part of the Sports Illustrated Network. He is also a Contributor for the Chicago Sky and Washington Wizards On SI as well as Niner Noise and The View from Avalon on FanSided. Scott grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, primarily Lombard and Naperville, Illinois, and attended Cubs games regularly when he attended Neuqua Valley High School. He graduated from Ball State University with a degree in advertising. His passion to be a sports journalist started in middle school. In 2015 & 2016, Scott was a Correspondent for the Tampa Bay Times covering high school football games. He is also a youth volleyball coach and a two-time published author.

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