Cubs' Alex Bregman called upon to break out ASAP, which doesn't make sense

Alex Bregman called upon to break out ASAP despite being above-average

Bregman, so far in 2026, has been a bit underwhelming for his massive contract, but compared to the rest of Major League Baseball, he's not actually been that bad.

Through 42 games and 191 plate appearances this season, Bregman has 41 hits, 17 runs scored, five doubles, one triple, four homers, 14 RBIs, two stolen bases, 22 walks, 32 strikeouts, a .246 batting average, and a .694 OPS.

That OPS being below .700 is cause for some concern, but not to the degree that the Cubs need him to break out ASAP, like what Miller is calling out.

MORE: Pete Crow-Armstrong is still struggling to hit well for the Cubs

Bregman's OPS+ is 105, which means he's five-percent better than the league average hitter this season. It's the lowest mark of his MLB career, and well below his 131 OPS+ from last season.

But, since 2020, he's had multiple seasons below a 120 OPS+, with a 117 in 2020, 113 in 2021, and 116 in 2024. Bregman might not be playing like an All-Star, but he's still a solid contributor.

Sure, Bregman hitting better would be a nice plus for the Cubs, but it's not such a dire issue that he needs to break out ASAP. This call-out doesn't make much sense, especially since Bregman isn't playing nearly badly enough to warrant needing a breakout this year,

More MLB news:

• Three ways Pirates' Paul Skenes could lose NL Cy Young Award
• Aaron Judge makes baseball history never done before by Yankees player
• Reds' Elly De La Cruz makes baseball history not done in last 126 years
• 5 reasons to believe in Jordan Walker's breakout for Cardinals
• Roman Anthony might’ve been overhyped for Red Sox