Here, almost as succinctly as I can put it, is everything we know about Game Five: It will be October 30th, the latest in the year the Cubs have played a game in franchise history. Jon Lester will start against Trevor Bauer, so the Cubs will once again have the advantage in the pitching matchup, playoff […]
Category: Articles
Playoff Prospectus: PECOTA Odds and World Series Game 5 Preview
This piece, written by Baseball Prospectus’s Editor-in-Chief Aaron Gleeman, forms part of the main site’s comprehensive coverage of the postseason, “Playoff Prospectus”. One night after Corey Kluber and the rest of the Cleveland squad put them on the brink of elimination, the Cubs turn to their own playoff-tested ace, Jon Lester, to keep their season alive […]
Playoff Prospectus: The Highlight Reel—World Series Game 4
This piece, written by Baseball Prospectus’s Ashley Varela, forms part of the main site’s comprehensive coverage of the postseason, “Playoff Prospectus”. If you’ve read this site for any length of time, you know that cherry-picked statistics often do more harm than good when it comes to player evaluation. When used to appreciate the Cubs’ long […]
Playoff Prospectus: Wrigley Goes Silent as Cleveland Sees the Finish Line
This piece, written by Baseball Prospectus’s Aaron Gleeman, forms part of the main site’s comprehensive coverage of the postseason, “Playoff Prospectus”. Game 4 was anything but a managerial chess match at Wrigley Field, as Cleveland jumped out to an early lead and broke things open for good in the seventh inning on the way to […]
Playoff Prospectus: Of Errors, Common and Uncommon
This piece, written by BP Wrigleyville’s Rian Watt, forms part of the main site’s comprehensive coverage of the postseason, “Playoff Prospectus”. Errors are not the best way to measure a fielder’s quality. You know that. I know you know that. But still, here’s a fact for you: Kris Bryant committed just 14 errors all season, […]
Second City October: Backs Against The Wall
The Cubs entered Game 4 of the World Series in an unexpected—albeit familiar—position: down 2-1 and desperately needing a slumping offense to awaken. Tonight’s challenge was exacerbated by facing the indomitable Corey Kluber, the former Cy Young winner who shut them down in Game 1. The wind reversed from last night, steadily blowing in and […]
Second City October: World Series Game Four Preview, Cleveland (2-1), at Cubs (1-2)
There’s the plan and then there’s the outcome, and very often those two things don’t wind up in sync. When the flyball pitcher from Cleveland takes the mound at Wrigley with the wind blowing out, a 1-0 finish in his favor is not the expected outcome. But it was, and that’s put the Cubs in […]
Playoff Prospectus: PECOTA Odds and World Series Game 4 Preview
This piece, written by Baseball Prospectus’s Scooter Hotz, forms part of the main site’s comprehensive coverage of the postseason, “Playoff Prospectus”. Despite all the pregame talk of 30-40 mph wind blowing out at Wrigley for Game 3, runs were in short supply Friday night on the north side of Chicago. The only run of the […]
Second City October: A Decision in the Seventh Inning
I know that in the middle of the World Series no one cares about the argument over the DH…and yet, on another level, it’s during the World Series that that argument is most prominent, because the entire baseball world becomes centered around a faceoff between the two philosophies. That’s an opportunity we who are interested […]
Playoff Prospectus: The Highlight Reel: World Series Game 3
This piece, written by Baseball Prospectus’s Mauricio Rubio, forms part of the main site’s comprehensive coverage of the postseason, “Playoff Prospectus”. Championship seasons are filled with unlikely heroes coming up in big spots. Cleveland are not champions yet, but should they seal the deal they certainly have their unlikely hero. With runners at the corners […]