The Chicago Cubs are putting together an impressive stretch run, and it's thanks in part to all the experience around the roster.
For Ian Happ, Yan Gomes has been among those whose mere presence has been a boon for the Cubs.
Gomes is in Year 2 with the Cubs, getting the majority of starts behind the plate this season. At 36-years-old, he brings a wealth of experience that has helped the pitching staff, and his bat has been a key part of the lineup. Gomes is hitting .270 this year with a .744 OPS in 80 games this season as a catcher and DH.
Like Cody Bellinger and Dansby Swanson, the backstop has plenty of quality experience to his name. Gomes was on the 2019 Nationals team that won a World Series, and was also on the 2016 Cleveland squad that fell to the Cubs in the Fall Classic.
He brought his insight to Chicago, something that Happ told Bernstein & Holmes has been a huge lift for the Cubs.
“He’s been fantastic. He’s been unbelievable from an offensive side in the catching position, he has a ton of clutch hits for us, a ton of huge RBIs late in games,” Happ said. “But he has such a wealth of experience from his time in Cleveland and those groups and their playoff pushes year after year. And then from his experience in DC with that team that made that run, catching a bunch of really solid pitching staffs both in Cleveland and in DC.
“He brings a stability to our rotation, to our bullpen, to talking through all of those situations with those guys, pitch calling, he’s done a fantastic job. That really, not only does it help us offensively in our lineup, but also throughout the entire pitching staff to be able to talk through gameplan and that type of stuff.
“He’s been a huge piece for us, obviously a ton of experience and a really great player.”
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