Jed Hoyer Maintains Old Philosophy Amid Cubs Offensive Blunders

In a radio hit before the game, outfielder Ian Happ claimed it would be nearly impossible for the offense to turn around. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported on his X account that Hoyer believes the defense is the “backbone” of how the Cubs are constructed. When answering if it was time to substitute Swanson for another bat, Hoyer said, “We can’t run away from our run prevention when we struggle offensively.”

Jed Hoyer: Cubs Can’t De-Prioritize Run Prevention as Offense Struggles.

The glaring problem with Jed Hoyer’s comments about the Cubs and preventing runs is that the defense can only do so much. The players on the field cannot defend the home run, which the Cubs give up at an alarming rate. They lead all of MLB with home runs given up with 106.

Just as the offensive woes remain, the health and consistency of the pitching staff are equally as paralyzing. If the Cubs are going to be giving up five, six, or even seven runs per game, the offense has to score that much more. The lineup as constructed now is not doing that.

Dansby Swanson is not the only culprit to blame for the Cubs’ offensive inconsistency. Alex Bregman is batting .169 with runners in scoring position. Ian Happ has left the most runners on base of anyone in baseball. Nico Hoerner is not the MVP candidate he was going into the month of May.

It’s all bad on the North Side of Chicago right now. The Cubs enter Wednesday eight games behind the Milwaukee Brewers, one game out of a wild-card spot. The next three weeks are pivotal to the 2026 season.