The Chicago Cubs have been an active team this offseason.
Between releasing players and signing new free agents, the team is making some major changes.
However, fans want to know if these changes will fix some problems the Cubs had during their 2022 season.
One of Chicago’s biggest issues on offense was their all-or-nothing batting approach.
The Cubs took this approach to spark the bats of their lineup.
But it led to a disastrous stat line for their batters.
While some people still love the Cubs offense, they had too many ground balls and too many double plays.
I know I’ve complained about the ground balls and double plays, but man this Cubs offense has been a joy to watch for the most part.
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) April 20, 2022
The all-or-nothing approach worked for players who weren’t prone to hit ground balls.
Willson Contreras is a shining example of the all-or-nothing approach failing.
When he couldn’t make solid contact, he was hitting ground balls at a 51.4% rate, the 11th highest in 2022.
But when he made solid contact, he was a star in fans’ eyes.
The 48.6% of non-ground balls led to Contreras having 22 home runs for the season.
However, they ignore the 14 GIDPs by him last season, which made him the leading candidate for double plays in Chicago.
Letting him walk, along with a couple other ground ball hitters, gives the team a better shot with their all-or-nothing approach.
With their fly balls giving the team a .389 batting average for 2022, their offense can be a threat.
Cleaning out players who kept putting the ball on the ground now allows for a better offense in 2023.
While fans will miss Contreras, the move puts the Cubs in the right direction with their offense.
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