Craig Counsell’s Managerial Masterclass Has Cubs Clicking

In 2024, the Cubs parted ways with franchise folk hero David Ross and inked Craig Counsell, whose contract with the Brewers had expired. The shockwaves from this bold move are still being felt today, especially in the NL Central. In his third year at the helm, Counsell has his club playing tough, defensive-minded baseball that has them legitimately eyeing their first division title since 2017. But standing in their way is a more perplexing foe than any standard rival: rampant injuries.

Counsell, the longest-tenured coach or manager of a professional club in Chicago, never had a honeymoon period. With troubling defensive miscues and lacking a prolific bat in the middle of the lineup, the Cubs underperformed in his first year. Though he followed that disappointing season with a 92-win playoff campaign, the prevailing sentiment was that the job wasn’t close to finished. Even with five full months left in the regular season and a significantly depleted workforce, this Cubs team looks willing and able to get the job done.

Now, it’s not my job to belabor the specifics of the endless parade of injuries to this ballclub. The rotation hasn’t been whole since the first turn or two, and the bullpen’s back has been up against the wall almost from the word go. Counsell has had to squeeze every last pitch out of a litany of relievers, many of whom have been added to the roster as emergency replacements. The usage of surprise contributors like Ryan Rolison, Corbin Martin, and Riley Martin — who has since gone down to his own injury — has shifted the tide of this campaign exponentially.

The Whitefish Bay native’s navigation of treacherous pitching waters has been impressive, but the way he’s maximized the squad’s offensive output is borderline incredible. Jed Hoyer gave his skipper some new toys to play with this offseason, headlined by a big contract for Alex Bregman. Though Counsell has downplayed any direct causation of Bregman’s influence on it, the Cubs’ .352 on-base percentage leads MLB. Getting the kind of production you expect from your stars is one thing, but having additional leaders in the clubhouse makes any manager’s job easier.

That has certainly been the case for the Cubs’ pinch and designated hitters, as Counsell has routinely rotated those spots based on health and matchups. There have been games in which three or even four different players have occupied the DH role as their opponents bring in new relievers.

“[Counsell’s] putting us in positions to have success,” Carson Kelly said recently. “This group, we’re always prepared. We’re always looking for that opportunity. Just as a group, we’re pulling for each other at all moments.”

You may have been slow to adopt an optimistic stance in the wake of all the early injuries, and you can’t be blamed for that. There’s no argument that the setbacks have helped the Cubs, but these circumstances are the exact reason why having a manager like Counsell matters. Leaders don’t build reputations on how they operate when things are going well. The best find ways to forge success when the path to achieving it is difficult. By season’s end, we may very well see why Counsell is the best manager in baseball.