After a brief spasm of activity where the Cubs filled out a spot in the rotation with Tyler Chatwood and a couple spots in the bullpen, we’re all sitting around watching the water boil again. Or not boil, however that phrase goes. I guess not boil, which is even more boring than watching it boil. […]
Tag: John Lackey
2017 Player Profile: John Lackey
Position: Starting Pitcher 2017 Stats: 170 2/3 IP, 4.59 ERA/5.31 FIP/5.20 DRA, 7.9 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 110 cFIP, 0.7 WARP Year in Review: Following four years as a reliable, durable, slightly above-average starter, 2017 was a big disappointment for John Lackey. He still pitched the full season, arguably impressive in itself at the age of […]
NLCS Game Two Recap: Dodgers 4, Cubs 1
As they prepared to meet the Spartans in a naval battle outside the city of Naupactus during the second year of the Peloponnesian War, the Athenian soldiers trembled at the overwhelming numbers and strength of their opponent. Sensing this fear, their general, Phormio, spoke to them, declaring that their inferiority in numbers was compensated for […]
Game 114 Recap: Cubs 8, Diamondbacks 3
What You Need to Know: The Cubs struck early in the first when Taijuan Walker lived up to his name: three walks and a passed ball later, the Cubs had a 2-0 lead. Kris Bryant added an RBI single in the third, and Kyle Schwarber—in his first game at Chase Field since his injury last […]
The Rotation’s Biggest Sequencing Changes
It’s no secret that the Cubs rotation has been different in 2017. Many would be quick to suggest that “different” is a nicer way of saying “bad”. While it’s certainly true that the results for the rotation have not been as good as in 2016, that does not in itself mean anything, nor does it […]
Where Should Cubs’ Starting Pitching Concerns Be Focused?
The Chicago Cubs are not in a good place right now. They’re under .500, and there isn’t an area of the game in which anyone can declare that they’re actually excelling at this point. Despite some solid individual offensive and defensive performance, they haven’t put things together as a group in either respect. Same goes […]
Projecting John Lackey at 38 and Beyond
John Lackey enters 2017 at 38, after 14 years and almost 2700 innings in the major leagues. The sample of starters who have been pitching at that age, let alone having success, is relatively small. Lackey’s made it there; what then should—or could—we expect from him? The projections naturally give us a starting point. PECOTA […]
The 2016 Starting Rotation is Historically Good
When the Cubs picked up John Lackey during the offseason, the starting rotation finally felt like that of a team vying for a championship. The top two were never a question—Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester were always going to be the 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. But following those two up with […]
John Lackey Proving Offseason Doubt Wrong
This past December, when word officially broke that the Chicago Cubs would be signing former St. Louis Cardinals starter John Lackey to a 2-year deal, the Cubs corner of the baseball world was met with a mixture of intense emotions. Some folks simply weren’t fond of Lackey, be it on the field or off the field. […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Angels, August 9-10
This season opened in Anaheim, and much of what made the Cubs the Cubs then has changed. Kyle Schwarber is no longer a part of the left field platoon, the bullpen is almost entirely reconfigured, and the depth of the minor league system has been tapped somewhat in order to ensure as best as possible […]