Alex Bregman is not having the June he wanted. The Cubs third baseman is hitting .181 this month, and when a reporter asked him Monday what he’s working on to turn things around, he didn’t sugarcoat it.
“What’s your guess? Um, hitting the baseball.”
ESPN’s Jesse Rogers clarified that Bregman was being self-deprecating, not dismissive. It’s the kind of honest, slightly sarcastic answer you get from a guy who knows he’s better than this but also knows there’s no magic fix.
Bregman signed with Chicago this offseason, and the returns so far have been underwhelming. Through the end of June, he’s slashing .239/.336/.335 with six home runs, 11 doubles and a triple. For a three-time All-Star who’s built a career on being a tough out, those numbers stand out for all the wrong reasons.
The Cubs are hanging around in the NL race. They’ve dealt with injuries and inconsistency, but they’re still playing meaningful baseball as July approaches. Whether they can make any noise in October depends a lot on whether Bregman starts hitting like himself again.
Track record suggests a turnaround is coming
Bregman is 32. He’s been through slumps before. He’s also got a postseason resume that most guys in that clubhouse can’t touch. If the Cubs do make the playoffs, they’ll need that version of him — the one who hits in big spots and doesn’t let a bad month bleed into October.
But the postseason is still months away. Right now, the Cubs are focused on the Padres series. Bregman’s working on the only thing he can control: hitting the baseball.
Sometimes the obvious answer is the right one.
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