Cubs star is clearly playing himself out of Chicago

Imagn Images

Cubs star is clearly playing himself out of Chicago

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Matthew Schmidt | Last updated May 23, 2026 1:22 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs are mired in a miserable slump right now, having lost six straight games and 10 of their last 12. Just about nothing is going right for the team at the moment.

While pitching is obviously a big issue for the Cubs, their offense has also suddenly become a major sticking point, having scored just four runs in the last three games. Taking it a step further, Chicago has managed more than three runs just once during this six-game skid.

You can throw a dart and find a struggling Cubs player at this point, but one of the biggest culprits is outfielder Ian Happ, who had gone hitless in the first five contests of this losing streak before finally going 1-for-5 with a double against the Houston Astros on Friday night.

Happ is also hitting a paltry .143 with runners in scoring position this season, and with the former All-Star hitting free agency at the end of the season, it’s looking more and more like he may be playing himself out of Chicago.

Is Ian Happ in his final days with the Chicago Cubs?

May 22, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ (8) looks on from the dugout before a baseball game against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Happ broke into the big leagues with the Cubs back in 2017, and the hype surrounding him was palpable. A former first-round pick and top prospect, Happ was expected to make an immediate impact and he did, slashing .253/.328/.514 with 24 home runs and 68 RBI during his rookie campaign.

Since then, however, the 31-year-old has actually proven to be a disappointment, owning a lifetime .789 OPS and making just one All-Star appearance. Yes, he has won four consecutive Gold Gloves and has certainly been a good player for Chicago, but he hasn’t fully materialized like the Cubs hoped, and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic outlined Happ’s 2026 struggles in a recent piece.

“Happ, in particular, seems to be searching for it. After becoming more contact-oriented over the years, his strikeout rate has skyrocketed this season, sitting at 33.2 percent after two more on Friday, the fourth-highest rate in baseball,” Sharma wrote.

Happ is slashing .214/.350/.429 with 10 homers and 20 RBI on the season as a whole, which isn’t terrible. But his lack of contact is concerning, especially now that he is into his 30s. With Chicago having Kevin Alcantara ready to contribute now, it stands to reason that the Cubs might already be preparing to let Happ walk.

Paying an aging player big money over multiple years is always dangerous, so Chicago should just let someone else take that risk with Happ.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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