Ian Happ Is Heating Up at the Right Time for the Cubs

The Chicago Cubs' bats have been largely cold since late April. Entering Tuesday, before their seven-run outburst against the Chicago White Sox, the Cubs had the worst batting average in the league as a team, sitting at a measly .210 average . That was 11 points worse than the Seattle Mariners (.221), who are the next worse.

However, there is one notable turnaround occurring for one player. Ian Happ has been hot of late, and has improved his OPS to a .729 overall. At one point in May, Happ was slashing .207/.319/.305 . Over his last 13 games, Happ is slashing .318/.380/.727 with four home runs, six doubles, and 12 RBIs. Since Craig Counsell inserted Happ into the five-hole, he has been on fire.

The $21 million man is showing why the Cubs gave him a big contract. He started hot out the gate, but cooled off. Happ has historically been a slow starter, but a rebound at a time when a large portion of the lineup is cold is welcome for the Cubs.

Happ put an exclamation point on Tuesday's comeback win , slugging a two-run double to give the Cubs a lead. Happ also had a crucial hit against LHP Tanner Banks, giving the Cubs an extra baserunners when Patrick Wisdom went deep to tie Tuesday's game at five.

When Ian Happ is humming, things are good for the Cubs. In addition, Happ tends to improve further as the season persists. If he's starting to heat back up as June arrives, the Cubs could be in store for the best form of Happ that they've ever seen.

No matter what the future holds, Happ is giving the Cubs everything they need to right the ship. After a putrid 10-18 month of May, the Cubs are 2-1 in June. Continuing that upward trend is key for a team with playoff aspirations.

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