Because of the way he plays the game, Javier Báez is always going to be polarizing. Whether or not that’s justified is a story for another day. Even those who love and praise him, though, have always managed to find their own divisive issue surrounding the Cubs’ star: his plate discipline. Javy’s discipline, or extreme […]
Tag: Plate Discipline
The Two Albert Almoras
It’s no secret that Joe Maddon likes to rotate his players. Outside of Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, no Cubs player reached two-thirds of the team’s games at one position, with only Jason Heyward (right field) and Kyle Schwarber (left) even topping 100. That philosophy extends to Maddon’s usage of his bench, from which many […]
Quantifying the Cubs’ Quest to Control the Strike Zone
The ultimate match-up in baseball is the confrontation between the pitcher and the batter. And more than anywhere else, that battle is waged in and around the corners of the strike zone. Mindful of this, Cubs President Theo Epstein has preached that his team must “control the strike zone” in order to be successful ever […]
Opposing Starters in Hot Water Facing Cubs
The Cubs have been one of the best teams in Major League Baseball to start 2016. That point isn’t debatable, nor is it a revelation. The pitching has been arguably the best in the majors, and the defense is elite. The offense has outscored everyone (they are tied for first in the majors in runs scored despite […]