Three Cubs who can make their first All-Star team in 2024

2. Seiya Suzuki

Like Christopher Morel, Seiya Suzuki is another third-year Cub who is looking to take a big step forward in 2024. The 2023 campaign was anything but a sophomore slump for Suzuki who rose his batting average 23 points last season. After hitting .262 in 2022, Suzuki skyrocketed his average to .285 last season. The right fielder’s .285 clip was the second highest on the team behind Bellinger’s .307 average.

Along with his batting average, it is Suzuki’s whole slash line that will really jump out at you. In his rookie year, Suzuki’s slashed .262/.336/.433. In 2023, Suzuki soared his slash line up to .285/.357/.485. Suzuki also significantly increased his home run and RBI totals from 2022 to add extra juice to the middle of the Cubs’ lineup. Last season, Suzuki jumped from 14 to 20 home runs and from 46 to 74 RBIs.

Despite a .275 average over his first two seasons, injury and offensive struggles in the month of June are what have perhaps stalled fans from sending Suzuki on his first trip to the All-Star Game.  On May 26, 2022, Suzuki suffered a finger injury while attempting to steal second base and was on the IL until July 4. In 2023, Suzuki entered June with a .293 average and experienced a 40-point drop to .253 by the end of the month. From June 1 through June 30, Suzuki hit .177 in 20 games.

Excluding the month of June, Suzuki is a career .285 hitter and a challenge for opposing pitchers to content with. If Suzuki can avoid the injury bug and a June Swoon in 2024, he could very well be on his way to the Mid-Simmer Classic.