The Cubs were swept by this Pirates team a week ago, but the narrative has completely changed following Starling Marte's PED suspension. They've got another top prospect outfielder in Austin Meadows who in a perfect world would be filling those shoes, but he's been terrible since hitting AAA last year. It's strange to think back to those wild card teams and realize that the team's strength right now is pitching, not position players.
Team Leaders (projected)
Cubs
- OBP: Anthony Rizzo (.390)
- SLG: Rizzo (.525)
- HR: Rizzo (32)
- R+RBI: Kris Bryant (210)
- wOBA: Rizzo (.388)
- BSR: Addison Russell (0.7)
- SP K/9: Jake Arrieta (9.32)
- SP BB/9: Jon Lester (2.24)
- SP FIP: Jon Lester (3.26)
- RP K/9: Wade Davis (12.01)
- RP BB/9: Brian Duensing (2.45)
- RP FIP: Davis (2.47)
- WAR: Bryant (5.3)
Scalawags
- OBP: Andrew McCutchen (.363)
- SLG: Cutch (.474)
- HR: Cutch (25)
- R+RBI: Cutch (166)
- wOBA: Cutch (.356)
- BSR: Starling Marte (1.1)
- SP K/9: Tyler Glasnow (10.63)
- SP BB/9: Ivan Nova (1.61)
- SP FIP: Nova (3.72)
- RP K/9: Juan Nicasio (9.23)
- RP BB/9: Felipe Rivero (2.64)
- RP FIP: Rivero (3.22)
- WAR: McCutchen (4.0)
Man, ZiPS does not like this Pirates team.
Injuries, suspensions, blood oaths, etc.
Obivously Marte is the biggest absence in the Pirates lineup, and will be for some time yet. They're also missing Jung Ho Kang, who is stuck in Korea with visa issues stemming from his DUI arrests. No one is on the DL, but Gregory Polanco has been bothered by a minor groin injury.
Cubs-wise, Ben Zobrist has been dealing with a sore back for the past few days, and Joe has been taking it easy. It also sounds like there is a cold going around in the broadcast booth – get well soon Pat Hughes.
Pitching Matchups
K/9, BB/9, projected ERA listed for each starter.
Monday: Brett Anderson, LHP (6.24, 2.68, 4.34) vs Chad Kuhl, RHP (6.57, 2.62, 4.47), 6:05 PM CT
Anderson looked solid in his first start, but since then he's been hit pretty hard by opposing batters. Meanwhile, Eddie Butler is looking pretty good in the minors. The Cubs are only on the hook for $3.5m, and the various incentive clauses don't kick in until start eleven. That amount of money is not going to hold the Cubs back if he continues to struggle.
Kuhl walked six Barves in his first start, but settled down and followed it up with two solid outings against the Red Sox and Cardinals. He throws a lot of sinkers but his ground ball rate (~42%) does not seem to match his pitch mix.
Tuesday: Kyle Hendricks, RHP (7.78, 2.16, 3.46) vs Gerrit Cole, RHP (8.20, 2.33, 3.72), 6:05 PM CT
Hendricks hasn't looked so sharp to start the year either, giving up four homers and many hard hit balls in his first three starts. He's always made a lot out of his relatively slow pitch speeds, but with his average fastball hovering around 86 mph this year he has even less margin for error. Let's hope this whole early velocity dip thing really is the Cubs pitchers taking it easy post-postseason. The Pirates scored three runs in five innings against him last weekend, though didn't find the bleachers.
Cole has gone exactly six innings in all of his starts this year. They've more or less been quality innings, but his seeming inability to work deep into games is what is holding him back from becoming and Ace(tm). He went six innings, giving up two runs against the Cubs last weekend.
Wednesday: Jon Lester, LHP (8.86, 2.18, 3.12) vs Tyler Glasnow, RHP (10.66, 5.18, 3.74), 6:05 PM CT
Lester shut out the Pirates for seven innings last weekend but they came back against the pen to win. I thought that he's looked a little shaky so far, but his numbers certainly do not bear that out.
Glasnow has eye-popping walk numbers to go along with his eye-popping strikeout numbers. Hopefully the Cubs don't swing early and often against him. Not surprisingly, he hasn't pitched more than five innings in a start his year. It looks like he's a classic fastball-curveball guy. He's made ten career appearances in the majors, and it looks like hafl of them have been against the Reds for some reason. I guess that's one way to ease a guy into the bigs.
Comments
Butler’s ERA looks good, but his K-BB is 3% right now. He’s been stranding runners and not giving up home runs, but he still walks guys, and strikes out nobody. That’s just stat scouting, so maybe he actually is looking better in person.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
Just stat scouting on my end too, I just saw his ERA mentioned positively in a fg piece yesterday (dying laughing).
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
His K/9 is Corpas-esque. Nobody in Iowa inspires a whole lot of confidence at the moment.
I don’t understand why Montgomery isn’t being stretched out to start right now.
MylesQuote Reply
I know you’re all excited about this baseball team, but there is a very important football-related event happening this week.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
See any surprises in the works?
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
Berselius is too lazy to login,
I could see a few fallers like Reuben Foster (drugs), Jonathan Allen and Dalvin Cook (injury).
Some risers I could see include Haasan Reddick, TJ Watt, Tyus Bowser and Derek Rivers.
I bet teams in the 2-6 range are trying to trade like crazy. After Garrett, the elite prospects (Marshon Lattimore, Jamal Adams, Malik Hooker, Fournette and Foster) all lack positional value for the top 5.
And, man, these QBs are wild. Mahome and Kizer have HOF potential, but I don’t know if either are worth first round picks.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
What do you think of the Wisconsin OL projected to go in the first round. More Joe Thomas or Gabe Carimi?
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I think he’s something in between. I’m usually wary of lineman from Wisconsin because they’re often maxed out in terms of potential, but I think he’s athletic enough to make the transition.
I don’t think his upside is as high as Cam Robinson’s, but I think he has the best combination of high ceiling and floor of the offensive linemen in this class.
RynoQuote Reply
Ryno,
I remember seeing talk that he would move to guard in the NFL, so I guess I should have used Zeitler instead (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
Vogelbach was just called up!!! Nice.
MylesQuote Reply
Who is the best long-snapper in the draft thank you I will hang up and listen to your answer.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
The person with the smartest parents.
RynoQuote Reply
To day’s base ball squadron:
Schwarber
Bryant
Rizzo
Zobrist (RF)
Russell
Heyward (CF)
Montero
Anderson
Baez
PerkinsQuote Reply
Ryno,
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Russell!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Heyward!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
J-Hey!
PerkinsQuote Reply
I’ve always liked Heyward.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo steals a base, and then Heyward hits one out into the wind. What a stupid good bunch of hitters.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Jesus Christ.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
There are about a hundred things I’d rather do than watch this awful pitcher.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m starting to think Brett Anderson isn’t very good.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Zobrist!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I remember these Cubs from 2016! Here’s hoping they stick around for a few months or so.
PerkinsQuote Reply
(dying laughing), thanks Marte
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
I’ll never get used to these intentional walks.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Anderson!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Another 40 runs and I wouldn’t even care if Duensing pitched tonight.
dmick89Quote Reply
(dying laughing) Brett Anderson
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
Theo’s on the line offering sczcur for Taillon (dying laughing)
Berselius is too lazy to loginQuote Reply
This may be a good night to get Schwarber and Zobrist some rest.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Nine runs won’t win this one.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Anderson seems determined to make this interesting.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Surprise! Anderson is hurt.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Using the aggressive bunt defense with an 8-run lead seems dumb. Just take the out.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Not with Anderson on the mound. Still need some runs.
dmick89Quote Reply
Wow, Schwarber had no right to score on that.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
The Pirates are gonna throw 250 pitches before this one is over.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Oh, there’s a Cubs game on. I wonder if I missed anything.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Stop. Walking. People.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
uncle dave,
So will the Cubs, apparently.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Javy!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Anderson is doing a shitty job of losing his spot in the rotation.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
I didn’t have him getting through five, but what do I know?
uncle daveQuote Reply
Addy driving up those rate stats
berseliusQuote Reply
Schwarber is something else.
ceruleanQuote Reply
More runs, please.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
They should have sent Anderson. All Rizzo does these days is pop out.
ceruleanQuote Reply
All to third base.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I don’t understand how Anderson ends up getting injured.
ceruleanQuote Reply
This is more like it.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
It might help if he stopped sticking his pitching hand in front of every batted ball that comes his way.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Anderson walked six batters. That seems like a lot of batters.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Javybomb, please.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Sometimes you don’t swing and a run scores. Sometimes you do swing and no runs score.
ceruleanQuote Reply
this lead might be duensing-proof
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Who is the guy with the long beard that was in the broadcast booth and then went out into the crowd? (I’m watching at a bar with no sound )
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
No idea. I must have missed it.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Whoever had “reliever plate appearance” in Joe Maddon bingo, claim your prize.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I’m honestly not sure that i’ve ever seen this few people in attendance. I think there might be fewer people at this game than at that one orioles game during the Freddie grey riots
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Could be a nail biter with Duensing coming in.
dmick89Quote Reply
Duensing is in, so there is a non-zero chance Rizzo will get the opportunity to extend his hitting streak.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Duensing duenses.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Cubs have a positive run differential against the Pirates, despite having dropped three of four.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Finally a total blowout win.
ceruleanQuote Reply
And just like that, the Cubs have the second-best run differential in the NL and third-best in the Majors—only the 2001 World Series teams are ahead of them.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Quality [sic] start for Anderson.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I have the nicest comment on this thread to celebrate the nice win we saw tonight.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I would be open to sending Szczur and Candelario for RHP Mitch Keller and LHP Taylor Hearn.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Q+D recap up http://obstructedview.net/cubs-14-pirates-3-4-24-17/
berseliusQuote Reply