The Chicago Cubs are in the middle of their worst stretch of the 2026 season. The pitching injuries are catching up, and even more frustrating, the offense has been dreadful for the past 10 games. The 2-8 stretch has dropped the Cubs into third place in the NL Central, and the slide has fans freaking out. It’s a long season, so you don’t want the players panicking in May, but for fans who want a greater sense of urgency, Ian Happ isn’t just pissing them off with his RISP struggles. The left fielder dropped two quotes on Tuesday that set off a barrage of anger from the fan base.
The Cubs had been in first place for a few weeks, and thanks to a pair of 10-game winning streaks at one point, they had the best record in MLB. But now the Cubs are trying to get through a rough patch that’s seen the offense lifeless since getting shut out twice against the Texas Rangers.
For many years, Happ has been the most polarizing player on the Cubs, and while he’s leading the team in home runs and walks, his season-long slump with runners in scoring position is being amplified now during this cold streak. It hasn’t only been a Happ issue, as the Cubs rank in the bottom third in those situations, but as the guy who has drawn the ire from fans in the past, anything he says will create even more angst.
So, while I don’t necessarily think Happ said anything particularly wrong, the reaction isn’t surprising either. First, Happ talked about not paying attention to the standings in May.
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Then, after losing 5-2 on Tuesday night to the Brewers, the Cubs’ fourth straight series loss, Happ discussed the team’s record.
Again, Happ is correct to a point. If the Cubs had split up their long winning streaks and instead had won 2/3 in the past few weeks, there would be a different perception of the team. That being said, the fans don’t want to hear about being complacent with the current record, especially after looking bad in two straight losses to your biggest division rival at home.
At the end of the day, what ultimately matters is that the players perform on the field. Happ saying they’re pissed off and should be winning more wouldn’t take away the fact that they’ve lost 8 of 10 games. It’s a 162-game season, and just like the Cubs had a great stretch before, they’ll have another great stretch later on. And just like they started off poorly, now they’re in a rough stretch.
They’ve shown they can win, and while it may not end soon, it will. But again, that also doesn’t mean fans can’t get pissed off about the short-term struggles. Still, if you’re ready to call it a season on May 20, then that’s a bit extreme as well.
