Baseball Prospectus is Getting Particularly Cub-ish and Other Bullets

bp logo featureBig news out of Baseball Prospectus land: they are starting an offshoot Chicago Cubs-specific site led by none other than friend of the program, Sahadev Sharma. I am very excited about what this means for the online Cubs world (more good things!), and I’m also excited for Sahadev to take the reins on something like this. He’ll need some help, though, and he’s looking for outside contributors. If you fancy yourself able and desiring to write BP-style pieces about the Cubs, shoot Sahadev an email with writing samples/resume/etc. to sahadev dot sharma at gmail dot com.

  • The Will Ferrell stunt yesterday – playing for 10 teams in 5 games in 1 day – was actually pretty fun, and very well received around the game. You can read more about his time with the Cubs here if you missed it, and there’s also a write-up at Cubs.com and CSN. CBS’ Eye on Sports was following along with the entire day, so you can check out Ferrell’s non-Cubs hijinx here.
  • Ken Rosenthal has a quick (borderline #hot) take on the Cubs versus the White Sox this season, and which team will win more. Generally, I don’t have any beef with things like this, because I could articulate reasons why almost any team could win more games than almost any other team – you can’t predict baseball. Rosenthal likes the White Sox for 83 wins and the Cubs for 82 wins. Ok. Fine. But Rosenthal mentions at the end that he’s “unsure of the rotation beyond Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta, and even less sure of the bullpen.” Bullpens are, by their very nature, very difficult to be “sure” about, and, indeed, the Cubs could shock us all and struggle in the pen. But as we sit here today with the best information available to us, the Cubs pretty clearly have the most underrated bullpen in baseball. It’s one of the best on paper, has upside and depth for miles, and looks top five in the game, to me. Predicting 82 wins for the Cubs right now because of the youth, the offensive questions, and the back of the rotation is completely reasonable. But don’t hang it on the bullpen, man!
  • Jason Hammel, who gave up three earned runs on five hits and two walks in just three innings yesterday, says he’s still getting a feel for his pitches, and he knows he’s not crisp right now (Tribune). It’s not really anything to be worried about just yet.
  • Jesse Rogers has a comprehensive Spring Training update – what’s been happening, where things stand, etc. It’s impressive how positive the write-up is (and deservedly positive) considering that the Cubs have just one win. Indeed, the scores of the games really aren’t the thing.
  • And he follows with a five-questions interview with Jake Arrieta that is hilarious. A review of ’50 Shades of Grey’ and an explanation of why Kyle Hendricks is an idiot. I love it.
  • Joe Maddon says we may see our first set of roster moves (i.e., cuts from big league camp) after this weekend’s trip to Las Vegas, which is splitting the squad and requires lots of depth (Cubs.com). Humorously, as noted in that article, Maddon said he’d talked to Geo about it – a verbal elision of Jed and Theo (which would sound like Geo) – before catching himself and explaining who he meant.
  • More on Kyle Schwarber’s confidence in his abilities behind the plate here at the Sun-Times. We’ve now seen him back there a whole lot this Spring, and my feedback thus far: he doesn’t look obviously terrible, but you can see things where he needs work, and he hasn’t been tested on the base paths too much. If I was looking at this guy fresh – if I never knew there were questions about his catching ability in the past – and someone asked me what I thought of him, I’d probably say he looks below average back there. Given where Schwarber’s coming from, I think that’s probably solid praise. He could get a lot better this year, and part-time catching duty in the big leagues (at least) strikes me as very possible.
  • The South Bend Cubs are showing off their Star Wars jerseys:
  • And speaking of showing off apparel:
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    The First Chicago Cubs Lineup of the Year is Here!

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    I Dug Deep on the Cubs 2024 Schedule (And I Like What I See)

    Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we'd take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule. You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here...

    Here’s What I’m Betting on the Cubs for Opening Day

    I get it. Sports betting isn't for everyone — like, say, the interpreter for an international baseball superstar — but some of us quite enjoy it! If you are one of those people, this article is for you. Below, I'm...

    WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

    The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

    Latest News

    Matt Eberflus Opens a Window to the Chicago Bears Draft Plans

    NFL coaches are notoriously tight-lipped. And in his first two seasons as Bears head coach, Matt Eberflus has been no different. But every once in a while you'll catch Eberflus peel back the curtain and provide some insight regarding the...

    Braves vs. Phillies: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Ronald Acuna Jr. and the Atlanta Braves take on Kyle Schwarber and the Philadelphia Phillies in their season opener on Friday, with first pitch at 3:05 PM ET.See how to watch the Atlanta-Philadelphia matchup below.When is Braves vs. Phillies and...

    Jonas Valančiūnas Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The New Orleans Pelicans face the Milwaukee Bucks at 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, and one of the 3-pointer props available for this matchup requires only one trifecta from Jonas Valančiūnas.Jonas Valančiūnas' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksJonas Valanciunas' over/under...

    Top 25 College Basketball Picks and Best Bets: March 28

    The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa State Cyclones hit the court in one of four games on the college basketball slate on Thursday that include a ranked team.How to Bet on Top 25 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Top 25 Games for...

    What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

    You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

    Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks start their season as home favorites (-230) in a matchup with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID from Chase Field.Zac Gallen will get the ball for Arizona while Colorado will counter...

    Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Seattle Mariners are moneyline favorites (-154) to begin their season with a home win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN.Seattle's Luis Castillo gets the start, and he'll go against Boston's Brayan...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Cleveland Guardians start their season as road favorites (-156) in a matchup with the Oakland Athletics on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET, live on NBCS-CA from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Cleveland's Shane Bieber and Oakland's Alex Wood have been named the...

    Damian Lillard Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, and if the Bucks' Damian Lillard drains four 3-pointers, he'll beat his over/under.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDamian Lillard's over/under for three-pointers in this...

    Brook Lopez Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans at 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this matchup requires two trifectas from Brook Lopez.Brook Lopez's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansBrook Lopez's over/under for...

    more cubs news