4 Cubs most to blame as Craig Counsell's team tumbles down NL Central standings

The Chicago Cubs improved to 24-17 with a thrilling win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Mother's Day. They were just 1.5 games out of first place in the NL Central and were sitting comfortably in a postseason spot. It felt as if Craig Counsell's team hadn't hit its stride yet with a bevy of injuries and an underwhelming bullpen, but things have only turned for the worse since that win.

The Cubs have won just five of their last 19 games to go from seven games over .500 to two games under .500 after a disheartening home series loss to the last-place Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs have gone from just 1.5 games out of first place to 7.5 back in the matter of weeks. They went from having a three-game cushion in the Wild Card to being on the outside looking in when it comes to a postseason spot in an incredibly weak National League.

This kind of play from the Craig Counsell-led team is unacceptable, and these individuals are mostly to blame for it.

4) Michael Busch has come down to earth after his scorching April

Jed Hoyer didn't do much this offseason, but did make a trade that flew under the radar with the Los Angeles Dodgers landing Michael Busch and Yency Almonte. The Cubs have gotten strong production from Almonte but Busch is the player who had stolen the spotlight in April, and rightfully so.

The 26-year-old fit right in as Chicago's everyday first baseman and posted an .833 OPS with six home runs and 17 RBI. He was striking out a lot, but he was hitting extremely well in the middle of their lineup.

Since May 1 he has hit just .208 with two home runs and a .720 OPS. He's been walking a ton, but hasn't been doing much damage or run producing at all since the calendar flipped to May. He has just six RBI in the last month of action, which has been an issue for a Cubs team that has struggled to score runs of late.

3) Dansby Swanson has had an incredibly disappointing sophomore season in Chicago

Dansby Swanson signed a massive seven-year deal worth $177 million to become one of Chicago's franchise players. His first season was full of ups and downs, but he was an All-Star and took home a Gold Glove award while also hitting 22 home runs with 80 RBI. This season, unfortunately, has been a different story.

Swanson is not fully to blame for Chicago's rough month of action as he missed a couple of weeks due to injury, but he hasn't looked right all year. He had a .626 OPS in 37 games before landing on the injured list and has a .558 OPS, recording just eight hits in 43 at-bats, since his return.

Swanson is a player known to go on drastic streaks, whether they're hot or cold, but has yet to get things going in 2024. He has been hitting seventh and eighth lately as a result of his ice-cold streak. It's time for him to turn it on.

2) The Cubs have gotten absolutely nothing from their catchers

The Cubs didn't exactly enter the season expecting too much offense from their catchers, but even they have to be disappointed with what Miguel Amaya and Yan Gomes have done.

Cubs catchers rank 29th in the majors with a 37 WRC+ (weighted runs created plus). They rank dead last with -1.2 fWAR (FanGraphs' wins above replacement) from their catchers. What makes matters worse is that things only seem to be getting worse for this duo.

Amaya is hitting .186 with a .523 OPS this season, but is hitting .167 with a .460 OPS in his last 15 games played. Gomes is hitting .154 with a .416 OPS this season as the backup catcher and has just three hits in his last 35 at-bats since May 1 (.086 BA) with a .303 OPS.

For the Cubs to turn their season around, their offense is going to have to wake up. Finding an alternative to start games over the automatic outs that are Amaya and Gomes would go a long way.

1) Mark Leiter Jr. has folded when the Cubs have needed him most

The Cubs bullpen has been an issue all season, but Mark Leiter Jr. was one arm that Craig Counsell could rely on in April. The right-hander allowed just one earned run in 14 appearances and 13 innings of work that month, recording five holds in the process. He had seemingly established himself as their eighth inning man, but May was a different story.

Leiter got through his first three appearances without allowing a run, including his five-out performance on Mother's Day, but since then, he has been off his game to put it lightly. The 33-year-old has allowed nine runs (eight earned) in his last eight appearances and six innings of work since that brilliant Mother's Day performance. He has taken two losses and has blown a save in that stretch.

The Cubs needed Leiter desperately to come through when called upon with several of their key relievers battling through injuries and with the team struggling to win games, but he has been at his worst when the Cubs have needed him most.