After coming away with three Gold Glove winners last year, the Chicago Cubs only earned one in 2024, with left fielder Ian Happ winning his third straight on Sunday night. The accomplishment puts him in rarified air.
Three other Cubs outfielders have won a Gold Glove — Andre Dawson, Bob Dernier and Jason Heyward — but Happ is the first to win three straight. The names of the other Cubs who have won three straight Gold Gloves are the stuff of Wrigley Field legend: Ryne Sandberg (second base), Mark Grace (first base), Greg Maddux (pitcher) and Anthony Rizzo (first base).
“When your name is mentioned with some of those guys that are legends and greats of the Cubs organization, those are really special moments,” Happ said. “I was fortunate enough to play with Rizz and see it in real-time. To be mentioned with the guys that come back and put on the blue (Cubs) Hall of Fame jacket is pretty cool. It’s an amazing group and an amazing history. To be a small part of it, it means a lot to me.”
Happ once roamed the field defensively, leveraging his versatility into as much playing time as he could get. He played a lot of center field and second base and would spend time in left along with spurts at third, right and a little first. Eventually, after the sell-off of the Cubs championship core in the summer of 2021, Happ locked in an everyday spot and left field finally became his permanent home.
By 2022, he had turned himself from a questionable defender at multiple positions to a Gold Glover in left. Happ said it took “a lot of hard work” to become a multiple-time winner of an award that “means a lot” to him. Happ said he was most proud of his throwing in a season he finished tied for the National League lead among outfielders with 11 outfield assists.
Teammate Dansby Swanson fell short of his third straight Gold Glove as Colorado Rockies youngster Ezequiel Tovar took home the award for the first time. Nico Hoerner, who won the award at second last season, wasn’t nominated for his work in 2024 despite another strong performance.
Happ also learned this week that his teammate, outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger, would be returning to the team as he opted into his deal for 2025. After not signing back with the Cubs for the 2024 season until February, Bellinger will likely have a much more settled winter not having to deal with the uncertainty that comes with free agency.
“Super exciting for our group,” Happ said. “I texted him right away and just pumped up that he’s coming back. For him and his family to be able to know going into the offseason is probably nicer than last year waiting all the way until the end. I’m just super excited for him and what he means to our group.”
Bellinger’s return keeps the Cubs position player group largely intact for the time being as team president Jed Hoyer heads into a critical offseason. Happ, who has not only proven to be a strong defender but has emerged as an overall consistent performer, will be one of many veterans leaned on as the Cubs try to introduce young players into the mix next year and make the playoffs for the first time in a full season since 2018.
(Photo of Ian Happ: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
