As the Cubs has passed the 50-game mark, they’re approaching the point where questions begin to be answered, and not always in a positive manner. With a 27-23 record after Tuesday, the Cubs would be right in the thick of the playoffs if they were to begin now. It’s not too soon to wonder if the […]
Tag: Anthony Rizzo
Old School or New School, Rizzo’s Special
Photo courtesy of Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports I think we can all agree that baseball analytics have come a long way. From the discovery of OBP in the pages of Moneyball to all of the complicated math behind DRA—I’m a person that enjoys digging through the numbers to see what kind of stories they tell and […]
That’s So Cub: A Look at the Top May Contributors and Moments
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Yesterday was June 1. This means, I am semi-reliably informed, that it was President’s Day in Palau, and also that it’s time for me to take a look back at the month that was—in this case, May—and provide for you, dear readers, a summary of the top Cubs’ contributors […]
Why Team WARP Isn’t as Important as the Individual
Photo courtesy of David Banks-USA TODAY Sports Having buried my head in sports statistics for the better part of the past fifteen years, I often take for granted the sports literacy of the typical fan, particularly when it comes to the utilization of some of the newer measures. I was listening to 670 The Score […]
Cubbie Ks a Concern?
Photo courtesy of Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports I was doing research for a piece on the difference in strikeout rates depending on whether there were runners in scoring position or if the bases were empty, and I was struck by a number that leaped off the page at me. In addition to the Cubs bucking […]
Revisiting the up and down Ride of the Rizzo for Cashner Deal
Photo courtesy of Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports In January of 2012, the newly installed Chicago Cubs front office acquired Anthony Rizzo with the hopes of locking down first base for years to come. That’s the same Anthony Rizzo that’s playing out of his mind right now (1.082 OPS, just one of dozens of stats I […]
Breaking Down the Cubs Defense
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports Cubs fans had every right to be excited entering 2015. In addition to the wealth of young talent, new additions like Jon Lester, Jason Hammel, Miguel Montero, and David Ross had even the most jaded Cubs fan thinking positive thoughts. In the face of this optimism, a rational […]
Radically Young, Cubs Hope to Break Mold of Playoff Mix
The Cubs gave 25 plate appearances to players 25 years old or younger during Tuesday night’s win over the Mets. That leaves them with 683 PA by players in that age range this season—exactly 500 more than the Yankees gave to players that young all of last season. Add together last year’s Yankees and Athletics, […]
What the Cubs Wonderful April Means
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports Join us for Baseball Prospectus Night at Miller Park to watch the Cubs play the Brewers on May 9th. Order Your Tickets Today. ***Joe Maddon and the Cubs have preached the importance of getting off to a good start since January’s Cubs Convention. This is hardly a new […]
Game 24: Cardinals 10, Cubs 9
Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports Top Play (WPA): Joe Maddon used five relievers in tonight’s game, and tapped Zac Rosscup in the pivotal seventh after Pedro Strop failed to record an out. With runners at the corners and one out, Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong looped Rosscup’s 84 mph slider over Starlin Castro’s […]