PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 25: Manager Craig Counsell #11 of the Chicago Cubs looks on prior to the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Monday, May 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Chicago Cubs entered the 2026 season expecting to field one of the National League’s most productive offenses and another postseason run. And while the club has remained competitive for much of the year so far, several key hitters have endured slumps that aren’t helping the lineup meet expectations.
And few players have drawn more attention for their struggles this season than slugger Seiya Suzuki.
Chicago Cubs Skipper Craig Counsell Sends Seiya Suzuki Message After Hitting MLB Worst RISP Mark
After opening the campaign looking like one of baseball’s most dangerous hitters, the veteran outfielder has watched his production fall sharply over the past several weeks as the team’s batting order loses momentum.
“The Cubs have four of the bottom-26 qualified hitters with RISP led by Seiya Suzuki who is at an MLB worst .123,” ESPN’s Jesse Rogers noted on X, formerly Twitter. “No other team has more than two in the bottom 26.”
And when asked whether those struggles with runners in scoring position were unsustainable, Cubs manager Craig Counsell offered a two-word response.
“Historically, yes,” Counsell said, per Rogers. “The answer is yes.”
Chicago Cubs Skipper Craig Counsell Sends Warning To Seiya Suzuki About Pressing For Improvement
But Counsell’s optimism that Suzuki’s batting average mark with runners in scoring position would naturally correct itself also came with a warning about the need to remain patient.
“Sometimes you do have to wait for things to happen,” Counsell added, per Rogers. “As much as you want to put your finger on it and say ‘change it,’ the game makes you wait… It makes you sit in discomfort for a little while. Tests you. I’m not saying you’re not working on getting better but you have to stick to the things that you think can make a difference.”
Counsell’s response effectively served as a warning against overreacting to what may ultimately prove to be an unsustainable trend. But for Suzuki and Cubs’ fans at large, patience might be running in short supply.
“I want my teammates to trust me,” Suzuki told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian earlier this week, as his struggles persisted. “I know more than anyone that if you do make a mistake out there, that you can lose trust. I’m glad that I can kind of separate the hitting side with the defense and just go out there on the field and play well defensively. Hopefully I can carry that on for the rest of the season.”
For now, Counsell appears unwilling to make sweeping judgments based on some surprising struggles with runners in scoring position. Instead, his comments indicate the Cubs are betting that regression will eventually work in Suzuki’s favor, even if the waiting process remains uncomfortable for everyone involved.