The Chicago Cubs drafted Ian Happ in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft with the ninth overall pick out of the University of Cincinnati. In his debut on May 13, 2017, in St. Louis, he homered on the fourth at-bat of his career. We didn’t know it then, and we still may not fully understand now, but Happ would become one of the more versatile and essential pieces the Cubs would have.
After a long journey of adjusting to the majors in his first couple of years with call-ups and send-downs, Happ became an everyday player for the Cubs. He transformed his game from the infielder the Cubs drafted to the outfielder the Cubs needed. Happ catapulted his way into leadership on the team, especially after the departure of the World Series-winning core.
In the summer of 2022, Happ became an All-Star for the first time in his career. He and catcher Willson Contreras were the only ones to represent the Cubs in the Mid-Summer Classic. Ironically enough, they were also the two players rumored not to make it through the season with the Cubs. Neither player ended up being traded, but Happ was the one who stayed in Chicago. He signed an extension with the Cubs in 2023 that included a full no-trade clause.
Through ups and downs, the Cubs are a better team because Ian Happ plays for them on a daily basis in a crowded outfield. He’s made the necessary adjustments to have a long, flourishing career. The Cubs know this, Chicago knows this, and it’s time the world takes note of it, too.
As a left fielder, Ian Happ has 517 registered at-bats in 2024. This accounts for about 87% of the total at-bats of anyone who has played left field for the Cubs this season. His production is some of the best at his position in all of baseball. Our friends at Baseball Reference helped us break it down.
The Cubs have a 3.7 WAR (wins above replacement) from the left-field position in 2024. That is second to the Boston Red Sox and just ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers. The league-average WAR for left field in 2024 is 1.5. Happ (and the other 13%) more than double that number. Happ’s WAR on his own is 3.9, 0.2, which is better than the team’s statistic.
As data and statistics have taken over baseball, there is more emphasis on a player’s ability to get on base and slug than on batting for average. Cubs left fielders have generated an OPS of .815, good enough for third in the league. This season, the average OPS for teams’ left fielders in baseball is .715. Happ’s OPS in 2024 is .810, which ranks second on the team to Seiya Suzuki.
What good is any of this if you can’t bring runs home? Happ has 74 runs batted in this season, tied with Jurickson Profar of the San Diego Padres for the most by any left fielder in baseball. The Cubs’ left fielders combine rank third in that category behind the Brewers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Regarding left field, the Cubs have one of the best in baseball in Ian Happ. When it comes to leadership and off-the-field presence, Happ may be second to none. He just turned thirty, too. The best may be yet to come.
