The next first place team on the schedule rolls in to town to face the Cubs. Well, tied for first place still counts. The Cubs will face the Twins in a few weeks.
Team leaders
No more projections, just listing the top performers for each stat
Royals
- WAR: Moustakas (2.0)
- OBP: Moustakas (.382)
- SLG: Hosmer (.506)
- BSR: Cain (2.2)
- Defense: Cain (8.8)
- R+RBI: Morales (69) (nice)
- SP ERA: Young (1.57)
- SP FIP: Volquez (3.43)
- SP K/9: Young (7.22)
- SP BB/9: Ventura (2.82)
- RP ERA: Davis (0.00)
- RP FIP: Davis (1.97)
- RP K/9: Hererra (9.56)
- RP BB/9: Pino (1.29)
Cubs
- WAR: Rizzo (2.2)
- OBP: Rizzo (.439)
- SLG: Rizzo (.570)
- BSR: Bryant (2.6)
- Defense: Russell (3.6)
- R+RBI: Rizzo (56)
- SP ERA: Arrieta (2.95)
- SP FIP: Arrieta (2.38)
- SP K/9: Arrieta (9.62)
- SP BB/9: Hammel (1.04)
- RP ERA: Grimm (1.23)
- RP FIP: Russell (3.01)
- RP K/9: Grimm (15.95)
- RP BB/9: Rondon (2.14)
Probable Pitchers
Listing each pitcher’s ERA, FIP, projected ERA
Friday: Edinson Volquez, RHP (2.77, 3.43, 4.42) vs Jake Arrieta, RHP (2.95, 2.38, 3.47), 3:05 PM CT
If it weren’t for Ryan Vogelsong’s Giants career, Volquez’s re-emergence as a sought after pitcher would be one of the most baffling career revivals in the last decade.
Saturday: Yordano Ventura, RHP (4.64, 4.32, 3.73) vs Jason Hammel, RHP (2.98, 2.99, 3,74), 6:15 PM CT
I’ve been glad to have been wrong about Hammel, who was the Cubs pitcher that I was most worried about during the season. He could still turn into a pumpkin, but I like what I’ve seen this year.
Ventura had an amazing rookie year, but his sophomore campaign has been quite rocky. It doesn’t help that he seems more interested in starting fights than pitching this year.
Sunday Sunday Sunday: Jeremy Guthrie, LOL (6.70, 6.00, 4.69) vs Tsuyoshi Wada, LHP (2.70, 3.92, 4.10), 1:20 PM CT
Guthrie gave up four HR and eleven runs in one inning in his last start, so it’s probably safe to say that this one will be an improvement.
Wada has exceeded expectations by a lot in his two starts this year, but the fly in the ointment is still that any innings you get past the fifth with him feels like gravy. It would be nice if the Cubs could reshuffle the rotation to put him behind Lester or Arrieta so the bullpen is more likely to be rested when he takes the hill.