This transaction analysis will run as part of the main site’s TA roundup of minor transactions tomorrow. Here at BP Wrigleyville, you get a sneak preview. Chicago Cubs Acquired LHP Giovanni Soto from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for cash considerations. No, not that Geovany Soto. The pitcher. The lefty who made his debut for […]
Author: Rian Watt
BP Instant: Kyle Schwarber Leaves Game With Ankle Sprain; Status Uncertain
In the second inning of tonight’s ongoing game against the Diamondbacks, this happened: Early reports from beat writers at the game suggest that Schwarber’s initial x-rays came back negative, but that he has been diagnosed with an ankle sprain. An MRI is scheduled for tomorrow. For now, that’s about as good as things could possibly […]
The Thing About Matt Szczur’s First Pitch Home Run
Last night, Matt Szczur hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in the third inning (and, indeed, in the game). Here’s what it looked like: There’s any number of interesting angles to talk about here. You could draw a parallel between Szczur’s alma mater (Villanova) and what happened in Houston on Monday […]
The Arrieta Changeup: An Old Friend, Not Seen Since Milwaukee
Last night, Jake Arrieta did something disgusting. It was so disgusting, in fact, that the guy he did the disgusting thing to could barely even react—he just put his head down and wordlessly walked away. I’m speaking, of course, about the changeup Arrieta threw to strike out Mike Trout in the fourth inning of last night’s […]
Game 1 Recap: Cubs 9 Angels 0
This was fun. Let’s get to it. Top Play (WPA): “When you go, we go.” That’s what manager Joe Maddon said to Dexter Fowler before every one of his at-bats during the 2015 season, and it is (presumably) what he said to him today, shortly before Fowler began the Cubs’ 2016 campaign with a sharp double down the […]
Hope on a Chicago Morning
Hope. Hope upon hope. Hope met, ever-so-recently, with a reality that just might be able to justify it. Hope that springs out of a century of nearly unremitting despair, punctuated by brief moments of brilliance and a deep, abiding love. Love of a city, rising high above the heart of the country, that draws in the great […]
BP Unfiltered: Mental Skills on the North Side
This roundup, originally published on the main site as a “BP Unfiltered” feature, highlights work previously published here at the site. If you read the pieces already, take the time to enjoy them again. If you missed one or many, sink your teeth in. We spend a lot of time—here at Baseball Prospectus, and elsewhere […]
Life at the Margins: A Cubs Championship, Probably
Over at the main site, our Editor-in-Chief, Rian Watt, writes a weekly-ish column called Life at the Margins. In this week’s edition, he explores the seven times since 1945 the Cubs have come closest to a championship. We thought you’d enjoy a preview here: The Cubs currently have a 12.3 percent chance to win the World […]
Winter Is Leaving: Chicago Cubs
Over at the main site, Wrigleyville’s Editor-in-Chief, Rian Watt, previewed the Cubs’ 2016 season as part of the “Winter Is Leaving” series. We thought you’d enjoy this selection from that piece. You know the Cubs are young. I mean, everybody has spent all offseason telling you that. But do you fully appreciate just how young they […]
Hammel, Cubs Banking On Familiarity With Schwarber To Drive Results
It now appears that Kyle Schwarber will be Jason Hammel’s personal catcher for some portion of the 2016 season, and possibly all of it. That’s the plan, anyway, according to (variously) the Chicago Tribune and Comcast SportsNet. Why? Let’s think about this first from Schwarber’s perspective. For one thing, the Cubs want to give Miguel […]