This is Day 11 of a Cubsmas Advent Calendar. You can read the explanation for the project and Day One here.
Yesterday I wrote about the impact Adbert Alzolay’s emergence as a closer had on the 2023 Cubs. I think there is a very good case to be made that Alzolay is one of the key differences between the Cubs having a winning record and a losing one. However, there is one other element from the 2023 Cubs season that overlays nicely with the team’s success and that is the resurgence of Cody Bellinger.