10-game losing streak. .237 batting average. Yet Ian Happ sees a path forward.

Since their 2016 win, the Chicago Cubs have been trying to regain that glory. And part of that glory team was a $19 million player who thinks that the current team can still get the job done. With the team going through a rough patch, Ian Happ is trying to look on the bright side.

“It doesn’t make sense why it happens… We’re gonna get out of it. We’re gonna be alright. And you know to be in this position and have a nine-game losing streak and still be a few games above 500 is just a testament to the baseball that we played.”

The Cubs looked like one of MLB’s best teams just a few weeks ago. They put together two separate 10-game winning streaks in April and became one of the hottest teams. Pete Crow-Armstrong was delivering huge moments, including a late homer against the Cincinnati Reds in a 7-6 win.

Ian Happ was getting on base consistently with an OPS of .766, and Shota Imanaga was leading the rotation with an ERA of 2.47. But since then, everything the Cubs have touched has fallen apart.

Over their last 14 games, the Cubs have posted a .183 batting average with MLB’s worst OPS, .574.

Chicago’s DH, Moisés Ballesteros, has struggled badly during this stretch, having an average of just .068. Even after promotions for Kevin Alcántara and Pedro Ramírez, the lineup has not found consistency.

The Cubs scored just 7 total runs across 5 games before finally scoring 5 against the Houston Astros.

The struggles have also begun to show clearly through some of Chicago’s biggest offensive stars.

Happ’s strikeout rate climbed from 23.4% to 33%. Cubs’ manager Craig Counsell explained that Happ looked caught between pitches and failed in at-bats.

Crow-Armstrong still produced moments, but the lineup failed with runners on base. The offense got so bad that Chicago went hitless multiple times with runners in scoring position in the 2-1 loss to the Pirates. And the pitching staff has not helped matters either.

The Cubs have already given 67 homers in the season, ranking 2 in the league.

The main reason the Cubs lost to the Astros was the pitching.

Imanaga allowed 3 home runs in the 8-5 loss on Sunday, including a 3-run homer in the 5 inning. The month started with Imanaga having an ERA of 2.32, but with how the recent games have gone, his ERA has jumped to 4.04.

Counsell openly said that the Chicago Cubs cannot continue winning games while giving up homers in almost every game. Yet, Ian Happ remains positive. And his show Tuesday’s 12-1 loss against the Pittsburgh Pirates may tell why.

At the top of the 2nd, Alex Bregman led off with a double to left-center field. Ian Happ followed immediately with an RBI double to center field, which drove Bregman in for the Chicago Cubs’ first run of the game, tying the Pirates’ lead to 5-1. But that’s all Chicago could do, while again allowing 2 homers.

Despite the losing streak, the Cubs remain a few games above .500. Happ explained that the clubhouse is close-knit and “We care about each other too much. Trying to pick each other up.”

He also mentioned that when they were winning games, everyone on the team played well, and that helped them stitch together two 10-game winning streaks. And that is why Ian Happ believes that this slump will eventually fade, and the roster is too talented to let this slump continue. And honestly, flashes are there.

But if the Cubs can’t use the talent correctly, nothing else will matter.

The Cubs might be messing up their top prospect just before the Deadline

The Chicago Cubs are going through a terrible stretch right now, and nothing seems to be working anymore. After dropping 10 straight games, the Cubs decided to recall Kevin Alcantara from Triple-A on May 23.

Alcantara looked like the right person for this job after hitting .242 with 15 homers and 32 RBIs in Triple-A. But this promotion has been very confusing.

The Cubs have rarely used him in the lineup. Since coming back, Alcantara has received only one plate appearance during Saturday’s loss to the Astros. That decision surprised many =because Alcantara collected 4 hits across 11 at-bats during his last promotion.

With Chicago’s lineup continuing to struggle, Alcantara remains unused through another series loss. The situation became even stranger because Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki will reach free agency after 2026.

With Alcantara carrying strong long-term value, the Cubs could use him to replace either one or even use him as a trade piece with the Trade Deadline coming close.

The Cubs reportedly want starting pitching, while a productive bat could strengthen their struggling offense. Because of Alcantara’s power numbers and defensive ability, teams would request him during negotiations.

But with Alcantara getting limited at-bats, it makes Chicago’s overall handling look even more difficult, and the teams might not see enough to make him as valuable as the Cubs want him to be. With losses piling up, the Cubs either start to use Alcantara on the team or might as well use him as a trade piece.