Position: RP, Closer 2016 Stats: 36 IP, 37.7 K%, 10.1 BB%, 3.75 ERA, 2.46 DRA, 1.0 WARP Year Career in Review: Did you watch the World Series documentary on FS1 the other day? For me, it was a chance to revisit the highs and lows of some very emotional games. Other than shaving a couple […]
Author: Carlos Portocarrero
Player Profile: Albert Almora
Position: CF, OF 2016 Stats: .277/.308/.455, .267 TAv, 0.5 WARP Year in Review: If Theo Epstein could’ve planned out what 2016 would look like for Albert Almora before the year began, it would look something like this: he gets to spend a whole year at one level (Triple-A) and put some work in with the […]
Player Profile: Javier Baez
Position: 2B, 3B, SS, 1B, C, CF, SP 2016 Stats: .273/.314/.423, .275 TAv, 2.5 WARP Year in Review: Some people think that a little intoxication reveals your true personality. It isn’t that drinking turns you into a jerk per se, you just become more of who you really are. If that theory is true, then we’re all […]
The Rajai Davis HR, Emotions, and Objectivity
Emotions are a very subjective thing—we all experience them in our own unique way. It’s hard to describe a collective emotion when things happen to a large group of people. Some people cry, others smile, and some just sit there dumbly. As someone who writes about baseball, it’s very hard to separate your emotions from […]
Second City October: Home Field (dis) Advantage
The Cubs won 103 games—more than any other team in baseball—and do not have home field advantage in the World Series. You can call it unfair, ridiculous, or just plain dumb, but them’s the rules. That’s why they’ll have to beat Cleveland on their own turf in Game Six to get a chance at winning […]
2016 Has Already Been a Success
“You can’t be bitter over four games when 162 were so special.” —Wade Boggs When I was a kid in Guatemala, I asked my dad to buy me a new Nintendo game on his trip to the US. When he came back I was thrilled to see him—but I was also keeping a close eye […]
Turns Out There’s One Thing These Cubs Aren’t Good At
I have to stop hanging out with Joel Reese. In case you’re not familiar with our little podcast, it’s called BP Wrigleycast and it features Ryan Davis, Isaac Bennett, Joel Reese, and myself. Ryan makes solid arguments that run counter to many popular opinions. Isaac has strong views on developing players and is right more […]
The 2016 Starting Rotation is Historically Good
When the Cubs picked up John Lackey during the offseason, the starting rotation finally felt like that of a team vying for a championship. The top two were never a question—Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester were always going to be the 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. But following those two up with […]
Jack Leathersich: The Human Pitching Machine
I like to watch movies with a twist—something unexpected that blows me away and leaves me wondering what the hell happened. That’s why I liked Memento, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and The Usual Suspects. Originality is in low supply out there, and a good surprise is always appreciated. When the Cubs claimed lefty-reliever Jack Leathersich from the […]
Hammer Time’s Not So Bad
Watching major sporting events with my wife is great fun. Whether it’s the Super Bowl or the World Series, it always ends the same way. When the cameras inevitably pan to the losers, she gets visibly upset and says something like, “Awww, poor guys. That’s so sad that they had to lose.” And then I […]