Position: 1B 2017 Stats: AVG OBP SLG HR TAv wRC+ FRAA WARP .273 .392 .507 32 .304 133 15.0 5.1 Year in Review: In what was really a banner year for Anthony Rizzo off the field, taking home both the Roberto Clemente Award and Marvin Miller Man of the Year for his work in the […]
Author: Randy Holt
Cubs Offseason Target: Christian Yelich
As far as position players go, the Chicago Cubs’ outfield represents the position(s) with the most amount of intrigue. There is a possibility for turnover at all three outfield spots, with the possible exception of right field, where moving Jason Heyward’s contract looks to be extremely difficult. As Albert Almora Jr. failed to lock down […]
Cubs Offseason Target: Chris Archer
Position: Starting Pitcher 2017 Stats: 201.0 IP, 3.52 ERA, 3.37 FIP, 1.23 WHIP, 29.2 K%, 7.0 BB%, 3.30 DRA How He Fits: The Cubs have been in pursuit of long-term rotation pieces for the last three years. That isn’t a secret. Part of their quest culminated in the acquisition of Jose Quintana, but with the […]
Playoff Anthony Rizzo is the Best Kind of Anthony Rizzo
There were a couple of different schools of thought when Anthony Rizzo came off the field screaming “Respect Me” after his bloop hit gave the Cubs their 2-1 lead that led to their win in Game Three of the National League Division Series. Some questioned not the moment, but Rizzo’s reaction to a knock that likely […]
Kyle Schwarber Is Now As Dangerous As Any Cubs Hitter
Kyle Schwarber is hitting barely .200. He’s a less-than-competent fielder. He strikes out over 30 percent of the time. And yet, as the Cubs prime themselves for a run to October, there are few hitters that are to be feared within their lineup more than the burly left fielder. Those who have not followed the Cubs […]
Is Jason Heyward Actually Good or Actually Bad?
As a self-proclaimed, high-ranking member of the Jason Heyward Fan Club, the past calendar year-and-a-half hasn’t been particularly easy. Despite his glove being as elite as advertised, the lack of offensive production that Heyward has demonstrated at the plate has proven to be too much (too little?) for most Cub fans to handle, leaving the […]
Javier Baez needs to refine, not change, his game
While there cannot be any question as to the excitement level generated by one Javier Baez, there are certainly polarizing elements of his makeup and skill set as a major league player. A free-swinging, flashy fielder is going to draw the ire of some in the baseball community, and the reaction after his recent slide […]
Reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant Suddenly Underrated
It’s an absurd thought, but it’s entirely likely that less than a year removed from a campaign in which he was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player, all-world third baseman Kris Bryant may be among the least appreciated players in all of baseball. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what has caused it. It could […]
Catching Defense Suddenly a Legitimate Strength
Despite the stability largely provided by their exceptional core of young talent, the Cubs entered 2017 with some questions behind the plate. Set to roll with a combination of Willson Contreras and Miguel Montero, there were questions as to the defensive development of the former, and questions about the offensive production of the latter. A […]
Tommy La Stella Proving Invaluable
It’s strange, isn’t it? After last season, one would imagine that any discussion of Tommy La Stella in late August would likely feature details of his parting of the ways with the Chicago Cubs. Yet, here we are at that point on the calendar and instead, it’s quite the opposite. In fact, Tommy La Stella, in […]