“You kinda know going into the season that not everyone is going to perform as well as you hoped. It’s a lot of guys to expect them to perform at the level they were previously at; you can have injuries or poor performance, and so you kinda know that it might be an area you have to […]
Author: Cat Garcia
In The Background, Rizzo Continues to Improve
Consistency can be mundane. Among a plethora of new and exciting things to talk about on the North Side these days, all with their own idiosyncrasies, and all shedding new light on this ever-changing club, consistency often takes a back seat. Anthony Rizzo is the perfect example of that. His elite plate approach, packed with […]
A Month In, Contreras Still Shining
It’s been just over a month since catching prodigy Willson Contreras was called up to the major leagues, and in true Cubs prospect fashion, Contreras made his debut with a bang against the division rival Pirates. Contreras sent a first pitch home run into the bleachers during his first at bat at Wrigley Field, and […]
Don’t Panic, For Things Are Better Than They Were
The Cubs have lost eight of their first ten games in July. Pitchers are looking shaky, and the bullpen has been giving up runs like it’s their job. For many North siders, it’s time to panic. But take a look at these two tables and compare the numbers. Offense Offense AVG .256 7th AVG .239 […]
Evaluating Adam Warren, The Starter
Until Wednesday’s contest with the Cincinnati Reds, Cubs pitcher Adam Warren had not been used as a starter in a game since September 26th of 2015, back when he was a member of the New York Yankees. Warren is a natural starter, so the Cubs giving him a role as a sixth man in the rotation […]
Landing a Lefty: Why The Cubs Should Settle for Good, Not Great
With the trade deadline just one month away, it’s time for teams to begin assessing where they’re at, where they’re going, and what their immediate needs are. For the Cubs, there are no dire concerns heading towards the All-Star Break, but there is a small issue beneath the surface that should be quickly addressed before […]
Emerging From the Shadows, Concepcion Shines
The struggles that the Cubs’ Opening Day bullpen have recently endured are still somewhat beneath the surface, as no truly crippling detrimental issues or real red flags have popped yet, but the Cubs organization is still taking no chances. “We’re aware of it,” Cubs GM Jed Hoyer told the media on Monday, and with the […]
Let’s Take a Second To Appreciate Javy Baez’s Improvements
When Javier Baez first came to the big leagues in 2014, it was a well-established fact that his cumbersome strikeout rates would be coming with him. And they did. Baez posted a strikeout rate of 41.5 percent in 2014, accompanied by a stat line as dull as Joe West’s name: .169/.227/.324 in 229 plate appearances. But […]
It’s Almost Mid-June, and Heyward’s Struggles Are Still Not Concerning
As we are slowly but surely reaching the 100-games-left-in-the-season mark of the 2016 season, it’s a bit surprising to see that Jason Heyward’s slash line is sitting at a dismal .226/.323/.313. He’s only hit three home runs on the season so far, and is striking out at a 20 percent clip—something Heyward hasn’t done since […]
Series Preview: Cubs at Braves, June 10-12
In our last series preview, Matt Trueblood made a good observation: There is no such thing as a soft schedule. But with the Cubs just coming off an 8-2 homestand at Wrigley Field and then hitting the road for six of nine contests against the worst team in baseball while missing their ace pitcher in the […]