Chicago Cubs: 3 most disappointing players through first one-third of 2026 season

Earlier this year, Chicago gave Pete Crow-Armstrong a five-year $116 million contract. Already a Gold Glove winner and All-Star, it still might be the correct decision.

But so far this year, Crow-Armstrong has been nothing but a disappointment at the plate. Currently, he is hitting .228/.316/.370 with six home runs and 23 RBI.

Of course, his defense is still among the best in Major League Baseball, but the Cubs will want a lot more from him at the plate for what they are paying him.

2. Ian Happ

Four-time Gold Glove winner Ian Happ was always best known for his defense, but also hit 20+ home runs in four the previous five seasons.

To be fair, Happ still does lead the Cubs in home runs with 10. However, he is also just hitting .214/.350/.429. His numbers are even worse with men on base. They are even worse with runners in scoring position.

So poorly has Happ been playing that Craig Counsell gave him two days off over the weekend in an effort to give him a mental reset.

Hopefully it pays off. The team desperately needs him to start producing more in the middle of the lineup.

Dansby Swanson

Speaking of players getting a mental reset, shortstop Dansby Swanson has been hitting so poorly at the plate that Counsell moved Gold Glove second baseman Nico Hoerner to the position on Sunday and gave the former a day off.

To be sure, Swanson has not ever hit as well as a Cub as he did when he played in Atlanta. Still, he was reliable enough and averaged 23 home runs a season through his first three years in Chicago.

This season, though, Swanson is hitting just .189/.289/.349 with seven home runs and 27 RBI. Of course, this level of futility at the plate is borderline unplayable, even though Swanson is Gold Glove-caliber shortstop.