Beware the Ides of March (or at least a few days before). While modern day Arizona might bare only a faint resemblance to Caesar’s Rome, the Cubs dealt with a few minor setbacks this week. First, Albert Amora was pulled from drills on Wednesday after experiencing back spasms. The team, however, has ruled out any […]
Tag: Jake Arrieta
Pitch Counts, Innings Limits, and Jake Arrieta
Just a few weeks ago, the Cubs indicated that Jake Arrieta would have his first spring start delayed, in part out of a desire to place some limit on his workload this season. Arrieta has made it clear that he’s fine with this, and that he sees the value in some mindfulness about his workload in 2016. […]
Boom or Bust? Evaluating Individual Upside and Downside, Pt. II
Earlier this week, my colleague Isaac Bennett dug deep into the rabbit-hole of the widely ranging PECOTA projection numbers for Cubs hitters. Fortunately, I was able to partner with Isaac on this PECOTA rabbit-hole adventure, so today, and without further ado, I bring to you the “what ifs” and the “maybes” of the Cubs’ starting pitching staff. […]
Covering All The Bases: Epstein’s Winning Formula
Last summer I watched Jake Arrieta no-hit the Dodgers, and it was awesome. But it wasn’t as exciting as Carlos Zambrano’s no-no seven years prior. That one had all the drama going for it: an emotionally erratic hurler with control issues, coming off extended rest, aiming to snap a 36-year dry spell by Cubs pitching. […]
What a Slutter Does, Has Done, and Might Do for Jake Arrieta
The slider. The cutter. The slutter. It goes by many names. Since arriving to the Cubs in 2013, Jake Arrieta has worked with Chris Bosio and the coaching staff to hone his best pitch into a weapon—a heat-seeking missile darting away from bats and toward the catcher’s mitt. It’s helped him transform into not just an […]
High Performance Forces Theo’s Hand
After the end of the 2014 season, Theo Epstein made clear that the front office would seek to add impact pitching from outside the organization that offseason, while also acknowledging that two nine-figure commitments in one offseason were not going to happen. Epstein stayed true to his word, adding Jon Lester on a major contract but […]
Cubs Player Profile: Jake Arrieta
“I probably shouldn’t have gotten half an hour into this press conference without giving kudos to him for just an incredible, breakthrough season.” That was Theo Epstein, talking to the media the day after the Cubs had been eliminated by the New York Mets in the NLCS. He was referring to eventual Cy Young winner […]
Inside the At-Bat: Daniel Murphy’s First-Inning Home Run
In 2015, Jake Arrieta authored one of the greatest seasons for a starting pitcher in baseball history. Daniel Murphy is a good hitter who put together a very good free agent season (.281/.322/.449, .283 TAv), but prior to the past four days, his name and production were never put into historical context. Yet, here we are, two […]
Jake Arrieta Is the Right Choice for Game One
Yesterday, my colleague Matthew Trueblood laid out a compelling argument in support of Joe Maddon’s decision to start Jon Lester in Game One of the NLCS. The central argument he made in that piece was that Arrieta (and all modern pitchers) are more accustomed to a fifth day of rest, and that, because Arrieta would be on […]
Jon Lester Over Jake Arrieta as Cubs’ NLCS Game 1 Starter: The Right Call for a Reason
Jake Arrieta started on four days’ rest three straight times on three different occasions during the regular season. Until Monday night at Wrigley Field, though, he hadn’t done it four straight times since June 2012. Like most modern starting pitchers, Arrieta is accustomed to an extra day of rest at least every few turns through […]