Ian Happ Is The Latest Cubs Rookie To Make An Impact

His defensive versatility and bat give Maddon one more player that fits perfectly into his preferred management style

Ian Happ is good at baseball(Arturo Pardavilla III via Flickr)

When Ian Happ received his first call up to the Cubs’ major league roster on May 13th it wasn’t expected that it would be for the rest of the season. With Addison Russell and Ben Zobrist dealing with injuries, Happ filled the roster needs Joe Maddon had at the time.

He had been red hot to start the season at Iowa and given the Cubs injury situation Happ was the right guy for what Joe Maddon needed.

“His spring training was fabulous,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “He got off to a good start at Triple-A. We needed him. He’s here. “How long is he going to stay? I have no idea. It could be short. It could be longer than that. I don’t know.” — per Mark Gonzales(Chicago Tribune)

In 116 plate appearances at Iowa he had hit .298 while clubbing nine homers(still good for third on team) as well as 25 RBI’s. That success carried over to his major league debut.

In his first at bat on the road against the Cardinals he hit a 2 run homer.

But as the games and the at bats piled up for him, opposing pitchers began to adjust. He put together 10 hits in his first eight games including two homers and 5 RBI’s. He also struck out nine times. In his next 9 games he put up two hits and struck out 13 times including a golden sombrero against the Dodgers. Pitchers were busting him up in the zone and he was not laying off.

On June 13th he had another golden sombrero against the Mets but his one hit was a grand slam. He had struck out 17 times in 31 at bats from June 2nd through June 13th while only putting up six hits.

It was starting to appear like he was perhaps overmatched and not quite ready for major league pitching. The power he could display at any moment was enticing, but on a club struggling to score runs consistently, he was making it difficult to justify playing him every day. The psyche of players can be fragile. His up side was very evident. Compounding his struggles with the pressure to perform may not have been the best choice moving forward. If a young guy is going to struggle at the plate, it is wise to let them figure it out at AAA. Perhaps he needed a mental reset and the time to work on plate discipline at Iowa.

But ongoing injury issues continued the necessity of keeping him in Chicago.

It’s Happ-ening(Nicole Tracey via Flickr)

Just as opposing pitchers had adjusted to him, he was able to go through that bad stretch and re-adjust on the fly. Although he continued to strike out at a high rate, he also started to hit. From June 14th to June 30th he put up 17 hits in 52 at bats. 4 doubles, 4 home runs, and 9 RBI’s showed improvement. However he struck out 14 more times.

As the calendar turned from June to July and it headed towards the all-star break his bat was as hot as a 4th of July firecracker. Exploding for seven hits that included a double, a triple, and a two homer game against the Reds his positive offensive numbers were starting to pile up. He’s had at least one hit 14 times in the last 16 games. But he’s also struck out 19 times.

When he can cut down on the swing and misses and start to make more consistent contact he is going to position himself as an elite hitter in this league.

Joe Maddon has been reluctant to hit Happ at the top of the order. Replacing Fowler has been the most glaring issue other than starting pitching for the 2017 Cubs. Jon Jay may be the best guy for that role moving forward, that is when he isn’t making relief pitching cameos, sporting that 45 mph changeup.

Throw Back uni(Nicole Tracy via Flickr)

“I’m still looking for that more consistent kind of contact thing that’s contradictory to what Kyle had been doing this year,” Maddon said before Wednesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. “But I think the way Happ sits in the middle, I kind of like it. But I’m not saying no. That would be a good thought, and I’ve thought about it.” — per Mark Gonzales(Chicago Tribune)

In his first 48 games as a major leaguer he has compiled a .263/.330/.556 slash line. 59 strikeouts in 171 at bats equates to a 34.5% strikeout rate. That number needs to come down and his 10% walk rate needs to increase but he is making more positive contact over the last 16 games.

His 1.4 WAR and his 14 runs above replacement level justify his continued starting role. His offensive numbers are currently best suited in the middle of the lineup though. As he cuts down on swing and misses he could potentially hit at the top.

Happ has said it is his job to make adjustments and that’s baseball. Understanding that is half the battle. His numbers show that he is doing that successfully. His bat is going to be key in the second half if the Cubs hope to catch the Brewers in the Central and put themselves in position to defend their world series title.

It is important to remember that his sample size at the major league level is small. He deserves the right to continue to learn and adjust over the remainder of the regular season. But if the marked improvement over the last 3 weeks is any indication at all of what is to come from the young Happ we can all rest assured that the payoff will be well worth the wait.

A few more two home run games against the Cardinals will help his cause as well.

Doug Preszler is the type of person who can be a Cubs fan and an Iowa fan while living in South Dakota. He is a man who cares not for regional loyalty. He can be found on Twitter @PreszlerDoug, telling tales of the Dakotan Cubs fan’s existence.