Inside The Cubs

Inside How the Cubs’ Offense Failed Them In The Postseason

The Chicago Cubs season is officially over.
Maddy Dickens|
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The Chicago Cubs were officially sent home after failing to beat out the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series. The team was shorthanded on their pitching staff (specifically the starting rotation) and after the first two games of the series it definitely felt like they were going to be the dagger to their season.

Ultimately it came down to the offense. Yes, Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga got the ballclub into a massive hole when they dropped the first two games in an embarrassing fashion, but the bats (most of them) had a horrendous postseason.

The series could have (would have) looked entirely different if the starting rotation had their rookie sensation Cade Horton, but ultimately 2/3 of the batting order was ineffective in both their wild card series against the Padres and then the following series with the Brewers.

A Struggling Postseason at the Plate

Swanson looking out of the dugout on the wood bench in a grey uniform before the Brewers game
Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Between the wild card and the NLDS the Cubs played a total of eight games. By the end of it there were five players with double digit strikeouts- Dansby Swanson (15), Ian Happ (13), Pete Crow-Armstrong/Carson Kelly (12), and Seiya Suzuki (10). Matt Shaw had seven, but since he bats last he had 10+ less at-bats.

Nico Hoerner, Michael Busch and Suzuki were the consistent bats that won't hear any criticism, led by Hoerner's performance through and through. These players made up for 28 of the 55 total hits in both series, exactly half of the RBI, and 8 of the 12 homers.

These three along with Kyle Tucker were the only players with an OPS over .519 or a batting average over .200.

MORE: William Contreras’ 3-Word Dig After NLDS Win Won’t Sit Well With Cubs Fans

Tucker has been ridiculed in the media for much of the entire second half of the season and especially in these playoffs. Looking at his slash line .259/.375/.370 with seven hits, a homer, and five drawn walks, one wouldn't think he deserves it, but maybe he does.

It wasn't necessarily that he performed badly in it's entirety, but it was when he performed badly — in crunch time. The Cubs needed someone to step up and make a big play, just one. They were begging for it. There were multiple opportunities, specifically in the final elimination game, but Tucker couldn't come through.

It's hard to imagine that the organization will pursue him going into free agency with the struggles that he had when the team needed him and then him not being "the guy" in these playoffs. The team needs a big bat.

The main reason the Cubs were able to stretch this series to five-games is because of their defense. They are arguably one of the best in baseball and for the most part, kept the Brewers in check. The offseason is here and Chicago has to address the offense in the line up for the upcoming year.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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