The Cubs’ starting pitching staff has collectively assembled a season to this point that rivals that of any other staff in baseball, if not surpasses them. And what makes this even more interesting is the fact that they are doing this in part on the backs of a couple of pitchers who are outperforming their […]
Tag: Jon Lester
Game 66 Recap: Cubs 4 Pirates 3
It’s possible that, after tonight, the Pirates front office is planning a secession from the NL Central. They were swept by the Cardinals last weekend and are staring the possibility of another in division sweep in this one. They’ve been almost entirely helpless against the Cubs this year, and currently sit closer to last place […]
Game 51 Recap: Cubs 2 Dodgers 1
Top Play (WPA): Mike Bolsinger held the Cubs hitless the first time through the order, though in very Bolsinger-ian fashion, he did so in a less-than-threatening manner, hitting both Dexter Fowler and Javier Baez with pitches and allowing another walk to Jason Heyward. The Cubs were determined to improve the second time around, and following a Dexter Fowler walk […]
Game 41 Recap: Giants 5 Cubs 3
Almost, but just not enough tonight. Top Play (WPA): No surprise, but the third inning that featured both Kris Bryant’s deep shot to center and the Ben Zobrist single the preceded a Jorge Soler walk increased the Cubs’ win expectancy the most. After Soler walked, the Cubs win expectancy sat at 36.5%, which was the highest […]
Exploding the Moment: Lester in a Jam
This won’t come as a surprise, but when the bases are loaded and there are no outs, a team’s run expectancy is at its absolute highest. And by a lot. I’ll pause while that sinks in. In that situation, teams are expected to score at least two runs. It’s the time when, if it’s our […]
Series Preview: Cubs vs. Brewers, April 26-28
It’s already been a very eventful month for the Cubs, so much so that it might be hard to believe that it’s still only April. Sitting at 14-5, and firmly in first place in the NL Central division, the Cubs will now see their division rivals from Milwaukee for the first time this season. The Brewers […]
Mike Trout vs. the Chicago Cubs: How Four Men Conquered one Los Angeles Slugger
Mike Trout vs. the Chicago Cubs. It’s perhaps something that was only in the periphery of our minds amid the excitement of Opening Day. It didn’t quite dawn upon me, in fact, until just before first pitch: we were about to witness Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester wage their first battles of the season against Mike Trout, […]
Epstein Finds Advantage in Honesty
Ever since the release of Moneyball, one of the most popular buzzwords in major league baseball has been “market inefficiency.” For over a decade, fans and analysts have been captivated by the endless quest to identify teambuilding trends that everyone else in MLB is missing. Unfortunately, for most of that time, the Cubs lagged behind the […]
Weathering a Storm: The Mental Strength of Jon Lester
I heard someone I respect and admire say recently that life is largely about the storms that come our way and how we handle them when they do. We are always either in a storm, coming out of one, or one is coming. It’s a harsh and inevitable reality that adversity will come, and we […]
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. […]