Happy Valentine’s Day to the lovers among you. When I searched for “cubs love” on Amazon just to see what it would return in honor of the holiday, this, um, erotic(?) novel entitled “Cubs” was among the top results. It’s about shape-shifters and lone bears and … I don’t know. Searching “cubs” together with other words on Amazon, man. You don’t know where it’s going to land you.
OK, back to the kind of “Cubs” we care about …
I couldn’t help but notice in this batted ball review of first basemen at FanGraphs that Anthony Rizzo was below average in virtually every batted ball category last year, relative to other first basemen – he hit the ball more softly on average, popped the ball up way more, hit fewer line drives, etc. I knew this was a thing back from when I looked at various Cubs’ exit velocities last year, but seeing it all compared against other first basemen is interesting.
[adinserter block=”1″]
Normally, were it a player on another team, you’d point to this and wonder about regression the following year, but I’m not so sure. For one thing, Rizzo’s propensity for fly balls is not necessarily a bad thing, given his power. For another thing, Rizzo hardly ever strikes out, which gives him a lot of margin for error on his balls in play (since he puts so many of them in play (indeed, I wonder how much his exit velocity numbers are impacted by his ability to put two-strike pitches in play)). I don’t want to be a total homer apologist here, and maybe we will see some regression in the results for Rizzo next year (for one thing, I doubt his OBP gets the same level of injection it got from HBPs in 2015), but it’s worth keeping in mind that his BABIP (.289) was pretty typical for him. It’s not like he was getting lucky in a very fundamental way, despite his quality of contact.
Fun aside on Rizzo’s power: his 31 homers last year were 6th in the NL, but if you want to find a guy on that list who beats Rizzo’s 15.0% strikeout rate, you have to go all the way down to number 22 – A.J. Pollock, who struck out just 13.2% of the time, but also hit only 20 homers. The ability to put the ball in play that consistently AND hit for huge power is really unique and special.
Also noticed while sorting that list on FanGraphs: Chris Coghlan had the 23rd best ISO in the NL last year at .193, just one spot behind Andrew McCutchen.
[adinserter block=”2″]
In a reminder that the CBA negotiations are always looming, MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark mentions that it’s disappointing that quality free agents remain unsigned. It would be an upset in the extreme if draft pick compensation/draft bonus pools are not restructured in the next CBA. (And it should be. Tying draft pick compensation to qualifying offers (only for players who were with their team the full year previously) and then simultaneously going to a hard-slotting bonus pool set-up was a big mistake from day one.)
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.
Even with tonight's rainout, the Chicago Cubs are still making some roster moves. When Patrick Wisdom was removed (perfectly healthy) from the I-Cubs game in the 4th inning on Wednesday, we had an idea of what was coming next. When...
The weather wasn't going to cooperate for Jameson Taillon's season debut, and tonight's Cubs-Marlins tilt has been postponed. The game will instead be part of a split-doubleheader this Saturday, with the first game at 1:20pm CT and the second at...
If you're into tracking young pitchers with star potential like I am—as I watch Jack Leiter's debut while typing this column—then you're probably itching to see Pirates top prospect Paul Skenes make his way to Pittsburgh sooner than later. While...
Cubs vs Marlins — Whew! The Cubs got through their first West Coast road trip of the year, and did so with a winning record (5-4) against the Padres, Mariners, and Diamondbacks. They definitely let a couple games slip out...
As the father of a toddler who was sick for an entire week — the same week Brett was out from his back surgery and the Cubs were playing almost exclusively late-night ballgames on the West Coast — I was...
Kevin Alcántara hit his first home run of the season for the Tennessee Smokies last night, and Owen Caissie hit his first Triple-A home run for the Iowa Cubs as Iowa and Tennessee secured victories. The same can't be said...
Given the way the offseason played out for super agent Scott Boras's top available clients - Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery - you wouldn't be shocked to see some unhappiness behind the scenes. Did Boras overplay...
Hayden Wesneski was the hero of yesterday's finale and series-win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, coming in to clean up Jordan Wicks' (little) mess in the 5th ... and then tossing 4 shutout innings to save an over-used bullpen and help...
Hand up, I really wanted the Cubs to sign reliever Robert Stephenson this offseason. I felt like they could use one more impact arm (accurate), and I felt like Stephenson was one of the best available (about that ... )....
Rays closer Pete Fairbanks has been an extremely effective reliever the last four years, posting a 2.66 ERA from 2020 through 2023, with a 34.8% K rate and worth 4.1 WAR. But things have started out much more rough for...
Michael Busch and the Chicago Cubs (11-7) host Luis Arraez and the Miami Marlins (4-15) at 2:20 PM ET on Friday.Find out how to watch the Chicago-Miami matchup below.When is Cubs vs. Marlins and when does it start?This contest between...
The weather wasn't going to cooperate for Jameson Taillon's season debut, and tonight's Cubs-Marlins tilt has been postponed. The game will instead be part of a split-doubleheader this Saturday, with the first game at 1:20pm CT and the second at...
Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson was asked before the regular season finale if forward Lukas Reichel would play for Germany at the upcoming IIHF World Championship, or if he was headed to Rockford to join the IceHogs for their playoffs....
The Miami Heat are a better team than the Chicago Bulls. We can all agree on that, right? We're talking about a franchise with three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in four seasons. This included last year's historic run,...
On Thursday afternoon, the NHL made it official: the Arizona Coyotes are no more. The league's Board of Governors voted to approve the franchise relocating to Salt Lake City, effective immediately. The franchise will be owned and controlled by Smith...
Even with tonight's rainout, the Chicago Cubs are still making some roster moves. When Patrick Wisdom was removed (perfectly healthy) from the I-Cubs game in the 4th inning on Wednesday, we had an idea of what was coming next. When...
The Chicago Bulls aren't ruling Alex Caruso out just yet. Despite the guard having to exit Wednesday night's Play-In Tournament over the Atlanta Hawks, Caruso is currently listed as "questionable" on the latest official injury report. The Bulls' defensive anchor...
Cubs vs Marlins — Whew! The Cubs got through their first West Coast road trip of the year, and did so with a winning record (5-4) against the Padres, Mariners, and Diamondbacks. They definitely let a couple games slip out...
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the 2024 NFL Draft in a familiar position – contenders with a need to retool. Baker Mayfield solidified the quarterback position sans Tom Bracy, and while the Bucs boast a talented roster, key departures and...
New England Patriots 3-Round Mock Draft - The curtain has closed on the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era in New England. The Patriots, once a dynasty of consistency, now find themselves at a crossroads. With the number three pick in the 2024 NFL Draft,...