Cubs third base coach under scrutiny; Should Chicago consider moving on?

Statistics show that the Chicago Cubs are the worst team in baseball when it comes to getting around third base and trying to score, leading one Cubs manager to question his position.

A report from ESPN’s Jesse Rogers on Friday highlighted that Cubs baserunners are leading Major League Baseball in putouts for the third straight year.

“This is … the third straight season the team has led the league in outs made at the plate, calling into question the judgment of third base coach Willie Harris,” Rogers said.

In response to the accusations against Harris, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer defended Harris’ decisions at third base, indicating that Harris is performing well by Chicago’s own internal metrics.

“We did a lot of research,” Hoyer said, according to Rogers. “At-bats are really tough. You have to be aggressive in those situations. You can go a little overboard. (Harris) is aggressive, and based on the scorecards we’re working on, he’s doing a good job.”

It’s possible Harris — who was hired as the Cubs’ third base coach in December 2020 — is being unfairly scapegoated amid what has been a failed season for Chicago so far.

Notably, Harris’ aggressive style has allowed the Cubs to rank second in MLB in progression from first to third base on a single this year.

Leading the league in home runs for three straight seasons is concerning no matter how you slice it. Harris’ degree of culpability in this matter is much more questionable.

Should Chicago move on from Harris as its third base coach, or would replacing his aggressiveness with a more cautious style only further weaken the Cubs’ withering ability to score this season?

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