“💥 ‘Not Good Enough’: Cubs Skipper Craig Counsell Sends a Blunt 2-Word Warning as Seiya Suzuki Hits a Disturbing MLB Low — The Wake-Up Call Chicago Needed”

The Chicago Cubs entered the 2026 season expecting to field one of the National League’s most productive offenses and another postseason run. And while the club has remained competitive for much of the year so far, several key hitters have endured slumps that aren’t helping the lineup meet expectations.

And few players have drawn more attention for their struggles this season than slugger Seiya Suzuki.

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Chicago Cubs Skipper Craig Counsell Sends Seiya Suzuki Message After Hitting MLB Worst RISP Mark

After opening the campaign looking like one of baseball’s most dangerous hitters, the veteran outfielder has watched his production fall sharply over the past several weeks as the team’s batting order loses momentum.

Chicago Cubs Skipper Craig Counsell Sends Warning To Seiya Suzuki About Pressing For Improvement

But Counsell’s optimism that Suzuki’s batting average mark with runners in scoring position would naturally correct itself also came with a warning about the need to remain patient.

“Sometimes you do have to wait for things to happen,” Counsell added, per Rogers. “As much as you want to put your finger on it and say ‘change it,’ the game makes you wait… It makes you sit in discomfort for a little while. Tests you. I’m not saying you’re not working on getting better but you have to stick to the things that you think can make a difference.”

Counsell’s response effectively served as a warning against overreacting to what may ultimately prove to be an unsustainable trend. But for Suzuki and Cubs’ fans at large, patience might be running in short supply.

“I want my teammates to trust me,” Suzuki told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian earlier this week, as his struggles persisted. “I know more than anyone that if you do make a mistake out there, that you can lose trust. I’m glad that I can kind of separate the hitting side with the defense and just go out there on the field and play well defensively. Hopefully I can carry that on for the rest of the season.”

For now, Counsell appears unwilling to make sweeping judgments based on some surprising struggles with runners in scoring position. Instead, his comments indicate the Cubs are betting that regression will eventually work in Suzuki’s favor, even if the waiting process remains uncomfortable for everyone involved.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com