First pitch: 3 Chicago Cubs on the September hot seat who are not named David Ross
By Kevin Henry
Chicago Cubs player on the hot seat: Cody Bellinger
Absolutely, say all you want about the statistics Bellinger has put together in his first year with the Cubs and how he has rebounded from those down years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. And, absolutely, Bellinger's slash line of 310/.355/.540 with 26 home runs and 94 RBI is impressive. However, it's what Bellinger has done recently that should worry Cubs fans a bit.
Over his last seven games (29 at-bats), Bellinger is slashing just .207/.273/.379. Those are numbers that will likely come under the microscope if they don't improve as Chicago is needing Bellinger's offense for its postseason push.
With Bellinger's future with the Cubs in question and his performance this season potentially putting him in line for a large payday after his "prove it" deal with the Cubs, how the former National League MVP plays in September's crunch days will be part of the narrative about if Bellinger is really back to his former self.
As the regular season winds down, there is pressure on Bellinger not only to succeed for the team's sake, but for his own personal gain as well.