When the chips are down and the going is tough, it is easy to criticize anything that is going wrong. No matter how big or small, everything seems to be fair game. It has been a frustrating year for the Chicago Cubs, which means criticism is at its peak. There’s plenty of blame to go around, but Christopher Morel is a player who has been taking plenty of it.
The Cubs are by no means out of the race for contention. As miserable as it has felt in 2024, the Cubs currently sit just 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot. They’re not expected to add at the upcoming trade deadline. But they’re not necessarily going to sell their way out of contention.
The problem is that this team was favored to win the National League Central division and should have cruised into the playoffs. Because they have fallen well short of those expectations (to the tune of nine games behind the Milwaukee Brewers), there is plenty of criticism to go with the blame.
Shota Imanaga is having an incredible rookie campaign, making his first All-Star Game appearance of many to come. The other rookie, Michael Busch, has been panned out to be exactly what the Cubs planned on obtaining. He looks every bit like the first baseman of the future on the North Side.
One of the biggest reasons the Cubs are where they are is offensive efficiency. Third baseman Christopher Morel’s confusing production is at the center of those complaints. He’s touching both extremes of power and failure. As he continues to attract criticism, players and coaches are beginning to stand up for him against those criticizing him.
In the above clip, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers made a comment about Christopher Morel putting the Cubs in a bad spot by “swinging for the lake” to complete a strikeout and a run-scoring opportunity on Sunday. Manager Craig Counsell clapped back at him, calling his take and comment bad.
On Tuesday, 670 the Score hosts Danny Parkins and Matt Spiegel asked second baseman Nico Hoerner about approaches with two strikes and referenced Morel’s tough strikeouts. Hoerner’s response was to look at the statistics and see who was at the top of the board on home runs and runs batted in. Morel leads the team in home runs with 18 and has the second most RBIs with 51.
Counsell and Hoerner made their points by saying that many guys have many different approaches at the plate. It’s the collection of these approaches that makes a good or bad team. Both continued to reference luck as a reason why Morel has gotten some short sticks in his drawings.
The Cubs obviously consider Christopher Morel an asset to their future. Morel is also a fan favorite in Wrigleyville, and many defend his style of play. It’s possible that if the season were going a little more as planned, the criticism Morel and the Cubs are facing may not see the light of day.
