With the injuries mounting and the schedule as stiff as anyone's, the Chicago Cubs should be happy to get out of April with a record hovering at .500. There's no shame in holding your ground until the health returns. We have yet to see the roster that was projected to win at full strength.
Nobody told the Cubs that, though. They are rolling.
After taking down Kutter Crawford, his sub-1.00 earned run average, and the Boston Red Sox on Friday night, this pieced-together Cubs team is now 17-9. They're well in the conversation as one of the best in baseball.
If you were to list the most important players the Cubs needed for the 2024 season, Justin Steele, Seiya Suzuki, and Cody Bellinger would make up most of the top. However, all three stars are currently on the injured list and missing playing time. Steele could return as soon as next weekend after disturbing his hamstring on Opening Day. We are two weeks into Suzuki's projected 4-6 week absence due to an oblique injury. And Bellinger fractured a couple of ribs this past week after a date with the center-field bricks went terribly. His return time is currently unknown.
If you look at the injury report, you'd assume the Cubs would be fighting in the bottom half of the National League. Unbeknownst to the league, this team is deep, sound, and potentially dangerous. The players know it, too. Young talent continues to impress under the bright lights, and veterans keep this team focused. It's the perfect formula for a winning team.
The Athletic's Shadev Sharma asked Dansby Swanson about the Cubs' success in the face of adversity. Swanson gave a perfect answer that somebody might print on a T-shirt.
“I feel like we all knew and believed we had a really good team. Maybe this was the best way to show it. It’s unfortunate with the injuries, but we can do this. That’s why we’re the Chicago Cubs, it’s a total group effort.”
Dansby Swanson, via Shadev Sharma of The Athletic
Swanson: That's Why We're The Chicago Cubs
Dansby Swanson is just in his second year with the Chicago Cubs, but he's already talking like he's been here his whole career. He was very outspoken this offseason about the Cubs' desire to re-sign Cody Bellinger and give this team every chance to compete in 2024. He got his wish. And even without Bellinger, this team is proving that any of them can put the team on their back.
Rookie sensation Shōta Imanaga continues to make history and put the league on notice. He's the fourth Cubs' starter since 1901 to register four wins in his first five starts. His 0.98 ERA ranks second-best among MLB starters.
Another contender for Rookie of the Year in the National League on the Cubs is Michael Busch. Busch is showing everyone why the Cubs moved quickly to trade for him this offseason and make him their everyday first baseman. He is batting .289 and leads the team in slugging (.554) and OPS (.901).
Add that to Christopher Morel's defense improving every day, Nico Hoerner getting on base multiple times a night, Mark Leiter Jr. getting everyone out in the bullpen, and much, much more that would take a 50-page thesis to explain, this Cubs team is a sleeping giant that is winning when some would argue they shouldn't.
Swanson is a perfect spokesman for this team. He was a leader when he was in Atlanta and continues to be one here in Chicago. Cubs fans have longed for winning baseball to return to the North Side, and it's here. Manager Craig Counsell says on a nightly basis that he will do whatever it takes to put a team on the field that can win. In return, that team is giving him those wins.
This team does not care how much adversity comes their way. They're going to face it head-on and keep finding ways to win. That's why they're the Chicago Cubs.
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