Chicago Cubs Hitter Of The Month: July 2024

[Brian Kelder]

It was a down month for the North Siders but there were some standout performances.

Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo

#4 Patrick Wisdom
Wisdom hit only .222, which is the same on-base percentage as his batting average. Only six hits were had, and Patrick didn’t start but five games. Wisdom deserves mention for his flair for the dramatic; three of his six hits left the yard, one with a runner on every base. A slugging percentage of .593! July wasn’t a banner month for the Cubs, so Wisdom gets mention.

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#3 Ian Happ
Much like the old-time phrase, Happ came into the month like a lion and out like a lamb. He carried the Cubs like a superstar in their sweep of the Orioles, but everyone’s forgotten that, as he’s only eight for his last fifty at-bats the last two weeks. Kind of Happ in a nutshell, right? Either a complete supernova in a good way or a nuclear meltdown in a bad way.

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#2 Miguel Amaya
Amaya was given a few days off to concentrate on his hitting, and July showed some dividends. Miguel hit .333 that month, quieting the angry portion of Cub fandom that was calling for his DFA despite the lack of any replacement. .333/.400/.472 is a slash to dream on. His volume wasn’t as much as most due to days off, but another month like this would solidify Amaya’s spot in the Cubs' future.

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Cubs July 2024 Hitter Of The Month, Seiya Suzuki
It’s time for Cub fans to embrace reality. Seiya Suzuki is a very good hitter. He might not be an MVP or All-Star performer, but he will win one prestigious award. Seiya is the July hitter of the month.

In July, Suzuki tallied a .923 OPS, which breaks down into a .376/.523 on-base and slugging percentage. His .299 batting average, five dingers, and 21 RBI project to roughly 30 HR and 120 RBI prorated to a six-month season. This is no fluke; his WRC+ on the season is 134. Suzuki has been everything that the Cubs could ask for this season.

Why is Suzuki not revered in Chicago? Well, he’s not the guy an offense can revolve around. He’s very good; he’s not elite. The other issue knocking him down has been health. This season was interrupted by the Dreaded Oblique. It typically takes him some time to lock in when Seiya goes down. May was not a good month. June was slow, but he locked in toward the end of that month. It’s not just the injuries, of which he has had one every year. The ramp-back-up keeps his overall numbers lower than his talent.

It’s time to just appreciate Suzuki for what he is, not what this poorly constructed lineup needs him to be. A good analogy is his countryman, Hideki Matsui. He was never a superstar, but he was a very good bat, which was best utilized with the Jeters, A-Rods, and other guys you recognize by just their nicknames. He just plugged away, slugging doubles and 25-30 home runs when healthy. Nobody calls him a bust or focused on his weaknesses; he was just a vital cog in a great lineup.

Suzuki has been cast as the best hitter in a lineup, extending him beyond what he should be expected. Don’t let that dampen your appreciation for a really solid player. Suzuki is locked in and looks to finish as strongly as he did last season.

Hey look, a bonus paragraph! Here’s who’s going to be next month's hitter. Don’t keep receipts. Cody Bellinger is going to kick up the jams and really rock the mike like the Beastie Boys did Sabotage. The contract opt-out drive begins in August. There are no stats supporting this; it’s a narrative gut feel.

Thanks for reading, and may your August be as robust as Seiya Suzuki in July!

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