MESA, Ariz. — Since his initial batting practice with the Chicago Cubs during his first spring training three years ago, Seiya Suzuki’s easy power has always been on display.
For as much as Suzuki prides himself on being a complete all-around player, his offensive production made him a top-20 hitter in Major League Baseball last season, with much of that success over the final two months coming as the designated hitter. It’s not Suzuki’s preferred role. He wants to play in the field, but with the addition of right fielder Kyle Tucker, Suzuki will largely fill the DH position.
“My job is to give it my all to whatever my job calls for so if it is to DH, if it is to play the field, I’m giving my best,” Suzuki said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “I learned the flow of the DH, how to prepare during games. I think I can use that experience better for this year and figure out what other ways I can find to improve myself.”
Suzuki acknowledged it’s on him to get better defensively to give himself a chance to play the outfield more. His inconsistencies, particularly dropped fly balls, too often made him a liability. And with the Cubs’ current mix of Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ expected to be the outfield regulars, there isn’t a clear path for Suzuki to start in the field, barring an injury, though he will get work in left and right this spring.
The Cubs deemed Cody Bellinger the odd man out in the mix once the Tucker trade went down in December, though the organization asked Suzuki during the offseason to provide a list of teams for which he would waive his no-trade clause.
“I didn’t think much about it,” Suzuki said. “My job as a player is to do my best and give it my all, it doesn’t matter where.”
Bringing in a top-10 hitter enhances the totality of the Cubs lineup by acquiring a true superstar. And beyond the analytical advantages, Tucker’s presence gives a daily example of greatness, which is valuable even for someone like Suzuki, who has been their most consistent hitter over the last two years. Improved communication with manager Craig Counsell, something both sides acknowledged this week was an issue at times last year, should help too.
“It’s somebody showing you every day what great looks like, absolutely, we all want that,” Counsell said Saturday. “And so that’s inspirational, like, there’s another level in me, why can’t I do that? Putting it right in front of you every single day is always good.”
Counsell told Suzuki it can be a blessing and a curse that after great seasons, higher expectations of producing better the next year often follow. Suzuki elevated his offensive numbers in 2024, finishing with a .366 on-base percentage, 21 home runs, 136 OPS+ and a 3.6 fWAR — all career highs with the Cubs.
“In a great Cubs season, we’re going to need players to have that next level in them, and we think everybody has some other place to go,” Counsell said. “People think you’re that good, that you can do more, right? That’s how good they think you are. It’s really just how good people think you are, and you take it that way, and it’s a belief that everybody has in you.”
Finding the right balance of patience versus aggressiveness at the plate will again challenge Suzuki. During the first half of the season, he took the first pitch too frequently and often would find himself quickly behind in the count. When that extreme trend was pointed out to Suzuki, the Cubs hitting infrastructure worked with him to look for moments to be aggressive and attack the first pitch.
“There’s always going to be an inclination, like a little more passive on the first pitch or a little more aggressive, that’s kind of personal choice,” Counsell said. “And every hitter has that DNA that the league knows about, frankly, but you have to threaten pitchers on every single count, and that’s just what we need.”
Suzuki agreed with that assessment during his conversation with Counsell last season. His command of the strike zone is one of his best offensive attributes, but it’s a give-and-take Suzuki continues to adjust to.
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