Back in February, I wrote a piece asking a question that may seem silly today: will Willson Contreras ever play a game for the Chicago Cubs? At the time, the answer was relatively clear: the number-2 prospect in the organization seemed to be the heir apparent behind the plate after breaking out and winning the batting title […]
Category: Articles
Game Phifty-Seven Recap: Phillies 3 Cubs 2
Sometimes, David beats Goliath. Top Play (WPA): Kyle Hendricks did all he could—we’ll talk about that more later—and Justin Grimm and Adam Warren had done even more (we won’t talk about Clayton Richard any longer, who continues to struggle) to keep the Cubs in this game until the eighth inning, which they entered trailing three runs […]
The Worst Trade in Cubs History Isn’t The One You Think
It’s a little too much to say that Don Hurst charted a course for Cooperstown throughout his early career, but it would be a little too little to say that he didn’t. Since 1920, 85 players have accrued at least 2,700 plate appearances and had an OPS+ of 120 or higher in their first five […]
Should The Cubs Trade For A Lefty Reliever?
The Cubs entered play on Sunday with a record of 39-15, so it requires squinting to pinpoint any areas that require improvement via trade. The most discussed area has been the starting rotation, but the longer the season wears on, the Cubs’ existing starters appear as desirable or more than most of the options likely to be on […]
Game 56 Recap: Cubs 6 Phillies 4
It shouldn’t have been this close, not when Dexter Fowler, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Jorge Soler all had multi-hit games; not when Jon Lester faced the minimum in seven of his eight innings. Here’s how it went down: Top Play (WPA): “You go, we go.” Or, as has become a familiar pattern this season, when […]
Prospectus Q&A: Jason McLeod, Cubs VP of Player Development and Amateur Scouting
The following Q&A, conducted by BP’s Tim Britton (also of the Providence Journal) originally ran on the main site today. We think you’ll enjoy it, too, so we’ve posted a portion here. For the full interview, please head on over to the main site. Jason McLeod’s first-ever draft pick as a scouting director was Dustin Pedroia, 65th […]
Hello From the Other Side: Dispatch From a Former Cub
Trades make transient the most homebound of men. In a moment, the center of a life is pulled to the periphery, mixed up every which way, and repainted in the unfamiliar colors of a new hometown team. The traded player finds that he is suddenly quite different, adrift amongst the broken links of brotherhood that bind […]
Series Preview: Cubs at Phillies, June 6-8
There is no such thing as a soft schedule over the course of an MLB season. The Cubs had a pretty soft April, but a tough stretch in May, and after a brief respite, they’ll soon see the difficulty setting ratchet up again. Between now and the All-Star break, the Cubs will play 33 games […]
Game 55 Recap: Diamondbacks 3 Cubs 2
The Cubs and Jake Arrieta lost a weird one at Wrigley today but finished up what was, overall, an extremely successful homestand. Let’s recap: Top Play (WPA): Arrieta’s second inning double, which he hit 378 feet to center before it popped out of Michael Bourn’s glove up against the ivy, was the top offensive play of […]
Game 54 Recap: Cubs 5 Diamondbacks 3
Top Play (WPA): It was all Hammel, all afternoon in this one. Not only did the pitcher stifle the D-Backs’ offense, but Hammel added to his already-impressive list of RBI singles this season in the fourth. With one out in the inning, Anthony Rizzo hit a high pop fly toward left field. It was one […]