In a year that has seen highs and lows extreme enough to be the most intense ride at Six Flags Great America, the Chicago Cubs remain in the hunt for the playoffs. As of Thursday, prior to the beginning of league action, they are 5.5 games behind the final Wild Card spot. With 36 games to go, anything can happen.
But the Cubs will need some peak performance from the players they’ve assembled on this team. At this point, it’s pretty clear the team was constructed based on what players “could” be rather than what should be expected of them. It will take everything clicking at once for the Cubs to make some noise.
The signing of Shōta Imanaga has started nearly perfectly. Pete Crow-Armstrong has shown signs of growth and development since being a part of the everyday lineup. Dansby Swanson seems to have found his stride the last few weeks when it matters the most. These are all great signs for the future.
Still, the Cubs’ roster lacks “star” power. Their best claim to fame would be in former league MVP Cody Bellinger. The biggest contract on the books is shortstop Dansby Swanson, valuing $177 million. Even in the third largest market, the team is relatively unknown (especially with mediocre results).
Because of this, some players’ values are going under the radar. ESPN dove into players around the league who are the most underrated. Two Cubs showed up on that list.
Bradford Doolittle of ESPN (subscription required) looked across the league to find ten of the most underrated players in baseball. In his search, he came across two Chicago Cubs. Doolittle named left fielder Ian Happ and second baseman Nico Hoerner in his top ten.
While Happ has not been “outstanding” in the league, Doolittle states that his production has been “consistently good.” Happ was an All-Star in 2022 while being rumored as a trade target. During the 2023 season, Happ signed an extension to stay with the Cubs through the 2026 season. His deal also includes a full no-trade clause.
Hoerner is another home-grown, first-round draft pick by the Cubs. In this new age of baseball, Hoerner sticks to his old-school skill set of batting for average and getting on base. On top of being above average on the base paths, he earned his first Gold Glove Award in 2023 at second base. The Cubs also extended Hoerner last year through 2026.
Despite their extensions, the Cubs reportedly received interest from other teams in Happ and Hoerner as the trade deadline neared in 2024. While they may be underrated in the national media, team executives seem to see their value on the field. Both remain fan favorites and staples in the Cubs lineup on a daily basis.
