The Cubs may have faltered late in the year but there are a number of positives from this past season. Chicago won 83 games this past season and saw several players break out in the Windy City. Here’s our recap of the 2023 Chicago Cubs.
Related: 2023 MLB Season Recap: Cincinnati Reds
The Offensive Numbers
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 819 | 6th |
| Home Runs | 196 | 15th |
| OPS | .751 | 8th |
| Whiff% | 24.8% | 12th |
| Hard Hit% | 38.4% | 21st |
The Pitching
| Stat | Figure | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 4.26 | 14th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 3.85 | 13th |
| Strikeouts | 1,377 | 19th |
| Whiff% | 25.3% | 21st |
| Chase% | 28.9% | 16th |
The Good
The Cubs finished in the top ten of the MLB in a number of statistical hitting categories, including on-base percentage and runs scored. That came after a 2022 campaign that saw Chicago finish 22nd in the league in runs scored (657).
Chicago got much-needed results from outfielders Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, the former of whom was locked up to a multi-year deal earlier in the year. Happ hit .248/.360/.431 with 21 home runs, 60 extra-base hits, and 86 runs scored. And in Suzuki’s second MLB season, the 29-year-old heated up after a cold June and posted a .938 OPS in the second half.
Much of the spotlight, though, was on two off-season acquisitions. One was Dansby Swanson, who hit 22 home runs in his first season in Chicago and formed an incredible middle infield tandem with Nico Hoerner that made life miserable for opposing teams.
Then, there’s former NL MVP Cody Bellinger. The advanced analytics for Bellinger were strange, as he posted career lows in Hard Hit% and average exit velocity. However, the numbers on the stat sheet looked pretty good.
Bellinger’s line drive rate rose to a level not seen since 2019 and his refined approach helped the 28-year-old hit .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and 97 RBI in 2023.
Lastly, we need to talk about Chicago’s pitching. There were issues with the Cubs pitching staff but two shining stars were Justin Steele and Adbert Alzolay.
Steele broke out for the Cubs in 2023, as the lefty formed a formidable 1-2 punch atop the Chicago rotation alongside Marcus Stroman for much of the year. Steele won 16 games for the Cubs this year and posted an impressive 176:36 K:BB ratio through 173.1 IP.
As for Alzolay, the right-hander and former top prospect was electric as a reliever in 2022, and that carried over into what was a breakout performance in 2023. The 28-year-old — who took over as the Cubs closer mid-season — struck out 67 over 64 innings, walked just 13 and owned a 2.67 ERA out of the pen.
The Bad
The Cubs made a gamble on themselves this past summer when Chicago opted not to trade Bellinger and Stroman. Rather, the Cubs opted to buy and looked toward former prospect Jeimer Candelario.
Candelario finished the first half with 42 extra-base hits, good for tenth in the Majors in what was a terrific run for the 29-year-old in Washington. The Cubs tasked Candelario to log time at both first and third, but his OPS dipped and the veteran hit just .143 in 52 September plate appearances.
Back to the pitching, the Cubs received strong results from the likes of Steele, Stroman, Kyle Hendricks, and Javier Assad this season. However, Drew Smyly and Jameson Taillon both flattened out.
Smyly earned himself a new deal with Chicago last winter after a good 2022, but his two-seamer and cutter proved to be more hittable this past year. The lefty posted an ERA of 5.00 ERA and was moved to bullpen work for much of the second half.
As for Taillon, the hope was that the righty would be able to succeed after he signed with the Cubs last off-season. While he did limit the walks, Taillon’s 4.48 ERA was a career-low for the righty.
What to Look For in 2024
Between Steele, and a plethora of young hitting talent like Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alexander Canario, Matt Mervis, and Christopher Morel — who also had himself a breakout in 2023 — Chicago’s got the ammunition to come back strong in 2024.
However, there are questions that the Cubs need to answer before Spring Training.
Namely, will the Cubs bring back Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger? Stroman has a $21M player option for next year and it seemed a near-lock for much of the year that he would opt out. But, Stroman didn’t end the year on a great note and this year’s free agency class for pitchers is deep.
As for Bellinger, there’s a $12M mutual option on the table for 2024. Given that this is a light year for impact hitters and Bellinger’s strong 2023, there’s no way that he’ll opt into it.
Bellinger will likely get some strong offers from other teams this coming winter but the fit here is strong.