Cubs hitters should look to Cody Bellinger, whose situational hitting highlights baseball’s “seventh tool.” While most fans are familiar with the primary five tools—catching, throwing, running, hitting, and hitting for power—baseball IQ is considered the sixth tool, utilized by those who understand the game at an elite level. Situational hitting, often overlooked by players and fans alike, is a crucial skill that the Cubs lineup lacks. This is where Bellinger truly stands out.
Bellinger’s Situational Hitting Reveals Baseball’s “Seventh Tool”
One Smooth Swinging Slugger
There is no doubt that the home run is one of the most exciting plays in all of sports. However, to the seasoned observer, a slugger adept at situational hitting is equally impressive. Cody Bellinger exemplifies this perfectly. When facing a two-strike count, Bellinger typically shifts his focus from power to precision. He quiets his lower body and lets his hands guide the bat through the zone, sometimes reaching over the plate. This approach often results in a line drive to left or center field. It’s a beautiful thing to watch! More importantly, it drives in runs and extends innings, two areas where the Cubs need improvement.
Searching For Consistency
This year, the Cubs rank 21st in MLB with runners in scoring position (RISP). While this isn’t the worst, the team should be performing better. Some of this can be attributed to bad luck. Recently, Cubs hitters have been making solid contact but hitting the ball directly at fielders. For instance, Christopher Morel hit a hard drive that Reds’ third baseman Jeimer Candelario turned into an inning-ending double play on Sunday night. Beyond that, the statistics often worsen.
Currently, the Cubs hold the 26th position in batting average, 23rd in hits, 15th in on-base percentage (OBP), 22nd in slugging percentage (slug), and 21st in on-base plus slugging (OPS). Each division leader boasts at least one player in the top 25 for hits with two strikes, yet the Cubs have none. Leading the team in hits are Nico Hoerner (53), Bellinger (49), and Mike Tauchman (48).
Philadelphia Phillies’ third baseman Alec Bohm leads the league with 29 two-out runs batted in (RBI). However, the top three hitters for the Cubs—Morel and Suzuki (13) and Bellinger (12)—are significantly below the top hitters in MLB. These statistics underscore the team’s struggles to reach base and, when they do, to bring runners home. The absence of Bellinger and Suzuki for two weeks and three weeks, respectively, due to injury, further highlights the team’s challenges.
A Team Built To “Create” Runs
It’s no secret that the Cubs lack power in their lineup. While Morel and Patrick Wisdom can hit the ball a considerable distance when they connect, they are not in the same league as Judge, Stanton, or Alonso in terms of power. The Cubs don’t have that level of power in their lineup. Instead, this team relies on consistent and timely hitting to get runners on base and bring them home. There is some power scattered throughout the lineup with players like Happ, Bellinger, Suzuki, Morel, Wisdom, and Busch. Each of these players has the potential to hit between 15 to 25 home runs in a season.
Bellinger notably hit 47 home runs in 2019, the year he won the league MVP, but he hasn’t come close to that mark since. However, his mastery of situational hitting, the seventh tool, compensates for this. Following his lead will be crucial for the Cubs to find success going forward.
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