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<\/p>\nThe 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\u2019t helping the lineup meet expectations.<\/p>\n
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And few players have drawn more attention for their struggles this season than slugger Seiya Suzuki.<\/p>\n
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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\u2019s batting order loses momentum.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Cubs have four of the bottom-26 qualified hitters with RISP led by Seiya Suzuki who is at an MLB worst .123,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Jesse Rogers noted on X, formerly Twitter. \u201cNo other team has more than two in the bottom 26.\u201d<\/p>\n
And when asked whether those struggles with runners in scoring position were unsustainable, Cubs manager Craig Counsell offered a two-word response.<\/p>\n
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\u201cHistorically, yes,\u201d Counsell said, per Rogers. \u201cThe answer is yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
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But Counsell\u2019s optimism that Suzuki\u2019s batting average mark with runners in scoring position would naturally correct itself also came with a warning about the need to remain patient.<\/p>\n
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\u201cSometimes you do have to wait for things to happen,\u201d Counsell added, per Rogers. \u201cAs much as you want to put your finger on it and say \u2018change it,\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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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\u2019 fans at large, patience might be running in short supply.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want my teammates to trust me,\u201d Suzuki told MLB.com\u2019s Jordan Bastian earlier this week, as his struggles persisted. \u201cI know more than anyone that if you do make a mistake out there, that you can lose trust. I\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
This article was originally published on Forbes.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell addressed the slugger\u2019s struggles with runners in scoring position.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4950,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[11,46,213,8,214,215,216,49],"class_list":["post-4949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-craig-counsell","tag-jesse-rogers","tag-mlb","tag-national-league","tag-pittsburgh-pirates","tag-rays","tag-seiya-suzuki"],"yoast_head":"\n