Inside The Cubs

Is It Too Early To Panic About the Chicago Cubs Offense?

After just three games against the Milwaukee Brewers to open the 2023 MLB season, is it too early to panic about the state of the offense?
Kade Kistner|
Is It Too Early To Panic About the Chicago Cubs Offense?
Is It Too Early To Panic About the Chicago Cubs Offense?

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Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are not off to the start they envisioned for their 2023 MLB season. After winning in a dominant 4-0 fashion on Opening Day, they lost the next two and dropped the opening series to the Milwaukee Brewers.

In the first three games Chicago has scored a combined 10 runs. It's not exactly the type of performance they were aiming for, especially on Saturday when they plated just one run. 

Outside of Dansby Swanson, who has recorded seven hits, no other player has more than three. Which means no player, other than Swanson, has averaged a multi-hit game early.

Ian Happ has three hits, one of which was a home run for the lone run on Saturday. Nico Hoerner has three hits, one of which is a double. And Patrick Wisdom has two hits, both solo home runs on Sunday.

That's about where the offense ends. Everyone else who has recorded a hit, has just one hit. 

Luckily on Opening Day Marcus Stroman's strong performance led to blanking Milwaukee. That was also when the Cubs put together some timely hitting and at-bats. 

But on a day like Saturday when Justin Steele takes the mound and the Brewers are limited to just three runs, that is when you have to capitalize. That's what championship-caliber teams do. Instead, the offense was anemic and scored just one run all night with a swing of the bat from Ian Happ.

Heck, we haven't even mentioned Cody Bellinger who hasn't recorded a single hit this season.

This is a team that was supposed to vastly improve after the winter with acquisitions of Dansby Swanson, Trey Mancini, Bellinger, and Hosmer. Instead, this team looks and plays a lot like the last few iterations of this Cubs team.

Can we expect more of the same going forward or is this just a too quick panic?

Probably a little bit of both as this team figures out its identity. It won't be like this for long, or at least it shouldn't with the talent it possesses. But until they figure out who they are, it could be tough to watch.

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  5. Could the Cubs Land Trea Turner in the Offseason?
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  7. Is This Top Cubs Prospect Destined for the Mound at Wrigley?
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  10. Can Christopher Morel be a Long-Term Solution in Center Field

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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