Searching for the “hot” Ian Happ

There are two approaches to getting a player out of a slump: bench him or play him. The Cubs have used the “reset” method a few time over the past couple of seasons with Kyle Tucker, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki all having stretches of a few days off to try to break out of slumps they were going through.

But ultimately, a player needs to get at bats to work through such slumps and ultimately come out the other side.

As Cubs fans are well aware, Ian Happ has been a very streaky player throught his career, and while his wRC+ and WAR tend to settle in an above average number at the end of the season, during the year his numbers fluctuate dramatically month-by-month.

Last night, my Twitter feed was filled with people pointing out just how bad he has been in his his current stretch, and it is not pretty. And the acquisition of Tyrone Taylor was an indication that Happ will be platooned to avoid facing left-handed starters, where he has been particularly vulnerable. But Craig Counsell continues to roll Happ out against righties night after night, which has earned the ire of many Cubs fans on social media.

So the big question is, will the good version of Ian Happ be seen again this season?

Here are the ugly numbers for 2026.

Month	OPS	wRC+	K%
March/April	.811	125	29.1%
May	.827	126	34.7%
June	.687	89	32.1%
July	.648	89	28.0%
August	.130	-51	43.5%

So, he was doing great to start the season, but has been terrible in June and July and abysmal in August. Is there any reason to expect that the early season Happ can make a return to the Cubs lineup, becuase that would be very helpful.

Lets look at his monthly splits from 2025

Month (2025)	OPS	wRC+	K%
March/April	.722	108	16.6%
May	.684	98	29.3%
June	.779	115	27.3%
July	.638	86	20.7%
August	.835	134	19.6%
Sept/Oct	.892	148	26.4%

Things were a bit more up and down last year, but after a weak July, he came back and finished the season very strong, with an awesome September and October.

Let’s look at the 2024 numbers

Month (2024)	OPS	wRC+	K%
March/April	.647	91	24.2%
May	.779	117	29.8%
June	.887	149	27.4%
July	.847	134	23.3%
August	.889	147	30.1%
Sept/Oct	.664	92	18.9%

In 2024, he got very hot from June through August, and then slumped at the end of the season.

I don’t think anyone knows why Happ goes through these hot and cold periods every season, but the one thing that is certain is that they occur, year after year. And historically, his slumps have not lasted more than one or two months at a time.

So while it is possible that Happ is washed up, and what we have seen since June is now all he can provide, I think it is more likely that he bounces back, and we can expect to see a better version of him late in the season. At least I hope so.

The Cubs do have a couple of insurance policies if Happ can’t get out of this slump. We are already seeing Tyrone Taylor get his at-bats against left-handed pitching. But the duo of Michael Conforto and Pedro Ramirez can get the LF and DH at bats against right handed pitching. But with the trade deadline passed, I don’t think there is anywhere for the Cubs to go to get someone who would be a true replacement.

Also, if Happ is benched, the big downside is the loss of his gold glove in left field, which is worth more than most fans on the Internet give him credit for. He is at a +5 DRS this season, which is tied for 4th in MLB among left-fielders.

I’d expect Craig Counsell to give Happ more time to work out his issues, perhaps dropping him in the lineup at some point or possibly giving him a few days off. But the possibility of his upside down the stretch is too much to ignore, despite what people on the internet may say.