When the Cubs signed Jon Lester in December 2014, it signaled a turning of the corner for the franchise. Even though it is widely accepted that free agent pitchers older than 30 are the riskiest and the least efficient way to spend money in baseball, the Cubs were ready to compete with their emerging positional […]
Tag: Sequencing
Jake Arrieta: Great Again?
Last Friday, Jake Arrieta rode an effective “slutter” to another quality start, lowering his ERA to 3.63, and earning a victory over the visiting Blue Jays. His six strikeouts, two walks, six hits allowed, and one run allowed over 6 ⅔ innings lengthened a solid streak of quality starts to seven games, and he is […]
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 […]
Does Justin Grimm Need to Add His Slider Back Soon?
When a club is as successful as the Cubs have been since the season got underway, its flaws are sure to stand out just a bit more than they normally would. Still, flaws are hard to find. Not only has the Cubs’ hitting and starting pitching been incredibly good, the bullpen has been absolutely dominant as well. Through […]
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, […]