The Chicago Cubs have seen the distance in the National League Central division grow as their impressive start to the season has devolved into some struggles and injuries for several key players.
And as the team looks to reclaim its playoff momentum, the spotlight has settled on former Boston Red Sox star Alex Bregman, who joined the Cubs on a blockbuster $175 million deal in the offseason.
“Bregman has been mired in a season long slump that has only gotten worse in June,” ESPN’s Jesse Rogers wrote this week. “Before Monday’s win, he was hitting .181 (in June) with a .253 slugging percentage. He was also chasing pitches outside the zone at a 24% rate, which would be the highest of his career over a full season.”
Chicago Cubs World Series Champion Sends Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox Transition Message As Concerns Mount
Bregman has been a consistent presence at the plate for the Red Sox as well as the Houston Astros in his career, so the slump is fairly surprising. But one of the few individuals who can really relate to what Bregman is going through this season sent a message on the issues based on his own former struggles with the Cubs.
“That first month was probably one of the longest months I’ve ever had in the big leagues. I wanted the season total numbers in April,” two-time Cubs All-Star and World Series champion pitcher Jon Lester said of his own transition from the Red Sox to Cubs, during a recent episode of “North Side Territory.” “You lose sight sometimes of who you are and what you’ve done and the track record and that sort of thing. So, I think for Bregman… I think he might just be pressing a little bit and you know wanting to be Bregman, wanting to hit that .270 to .290 with 25 to 30 homers… He wants to hit the four home runs before his first at bat.”
Few players understand the pressure that comes with leaving Boston for another high-profile destination — or vice versa — better than Lester. After helping Boston win two World Series titles, Lester joined the Cubs and became a cornerstone of Chicago’s historic championship run in 2016.
Chicago Cubs 2-Time All-Star Hints At Alex Bregman Injury Amid Struggles
For the former pitcher, the pressure of a big free agent contract resulted in some poor performances to start his Cubs tenure. And that could be the case for Bregman as well, though Lester was quick to note there might be another explanation.
“He may be banged up a little bit, we don’t know that,” Lester added. “But I know he’s definitely out there grinding and he’s definitely out there giving it everything he has… But hopefully he can kind of hold on in where he’s at right now and maybe get hot here in the next month or so and be Bregman like numbers toward the end of the season.”
Cubs fans can certainly hope that Bregman’s tenure with the team charts a similar path to that of Lester’s after he signed following his own successful Red Sox stint.