Jorge Soler Showing What He Can Be and Other Bullets

Aug 18, 2016

I am at all times in my office surrounded by pictures of The Little Girl. The Wife is in here, too, and so is The Little Boy. But when I think about the whole cliche “pictures in the office” thing, it’s The Little Girl who springs to mind, because hers were the first pictures I ever had in here.

This morning, The Wife and I will be walking The Little Girl to her first day of kindergarten. There’s nothing to be said in these moments that hasn’t already been said thousands of times over by parents before me. Everything about this moment is so wonderful and terrible. It just hits you.

And I gotta just get through these Bullets …

Jorge Soler didn’t just knock a baseball to the moon last night. He continued a stretch, spanning past his long hamstring injury, where he’s been hitting .342/.435/.685 since mid-May (85 plate appearances). He has an 11.8% walk rate in that span, and a mere 18.8% strikeout rate. The BABIP is .360, which is high, but not ridiculously high for a guy who destroys the ball like Soler. The ISO is .342, which is definitely high, but he’s a guy who can have a very high ISO. That is all to say, the peripherals for Soler in this stretch are not necessarily crazy – they’re just good. He probably won’t keep this up for the rest of the year, and on into the future, but he’s giving a nice long flash of what he always had the potential to be. He’s showing why his offensive upside has always been discussed as among the best among young players in baseball – patience, contact, and elite power. He has the potential to be something close to the guy he’s been for this stretch.[adinserter block=”1″][adinserter block=”10″]

The Joe Smith hamstring injury, which landed him on the DL yesterday in convenient conjunction with Trevor Cahill’s return to the active roster, doesn’t sound like a phantom injury. It’s something he dealt with back in May, which apparently screwed up his mechanics, and that he’s been feeling for a little while since coming to the Cubs (Cubs.com). It’s one of those tricky things for players to know, especially as the end of the year approaches and everyone’s a little banged up: am I just hurting a little or am I actually injured? For what it’s worth, from the time Smith returned from that initial injury to the time he was traded to the Cubs, he posted a 3.65 ERA, a 3.39 FIP, and a 3.01 xFIP, by far his best month of the year.

Meanwhile, Pedro Strop is already playing catch following meniscus surgery on his knee last Friday. I still wouldn’t expect him before mid-September, but this seems like very rapid progress.

A little residual fun from Anthony Rizzo’s incredible catch. Over at Cut4, a look at the various fan reactions to the catch.

Dylan Cease had an outing last night for the Eugene Emeralds that is pretty much him in a nutshell: 3.2 innings, no hits or runs, 3 BBs, 8 Ks. Wow. That’s quite a line. The fastball and the stuff, as we already know, are clearly really strong. The command, it seems, remains the part for polishing, as it so often is. That performance came, by the way, as part of the Emeralds’ 13th straight win.[adinserter block=”2″]

Meanwhile, the Cubs’ other low-level top pitching prospect Oscar De La Cruz must’ve had his ears burning this week with all the gushing chatter, because he was knocked around in a short, three-inning outing at South Bend for the first time this season. It happens. Who knows what he was working on. As long as he’s healthy, I have zero concerns about De La Cruz’s future.

I know that it’s not exactly the same as MLB, but what Shohei Otani is doing in Japan – at age 21/22, as a pitcher AND a hitter – is absolutely blowing my mind.

At 12pm CT, this Jimmy Butler signed basketball goes on a lightning deal at Amazon. So, if you’re a Bulls fan, be ready.

Earlier, I wrote about the Cubs’ rotation shake-up.

written by

Brett Taylor

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

Chicago Cubs

Brewers Involved in ANOTHER Benches-Clearing Incident

I was thinking about whether there have been a lot of benches-clearing incidents this season when it occurred to me that, of the ones I can remember, the Milwaukee Brewers keep showing up. There was the embarrassing one with Jeff...

Brett Taylor

May 01, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Enhanced Box Score: Mets 4, Cubs 2 – April 30, 2024

Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Cubs played some sloppy defense, Javier Assad was good, the offense couldn't get much going against a pitcher they should've hit just fine, and Adbert Alzolay gave up a game-winning home...

Michael Cerami

Apr 30, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Mets (6:10 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

CUBS LINEUP — For the first time in four days, the Cubs actually have a different looking lineup. And that's because they're going up a lefty, Sean Manea, tonight at Citi Field. Here's a look at Craig Counsell's group for...

Michael Cerami

Apr 30, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Mike Trout Has a Torn Meniscus

I know some people scoff at the idea of feeling bad for star athletes making millions upon millions of dollars, but I can't help but feel for Mike Trout. Arguably, the greatest baseball player (I place Shohei Ohtani on another...

Patrick K. Flowers

Apr 30, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Latest Power Rankings Have the Cubs Inside the Top Ten, With a First Month MVP

I thought this installment of power rankings from The Athletic was a bit more interesting than most, because not only did they do the, you know, power rankings part, they added a first month MVP for each team. The Cubs...

Brett Taylor

Apr 30, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Hector Neris Has Four Straight Saves, But I Don’t Think He Can Stay in That Role Much Longer

I don't want to get into too much exposition here on the history, so I'll try to keep this brief: Despite blowing just three saves last season, Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay had already let four games slip away by April...

Michael Cerami

Apr 30, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Cubs Injury Updates: Justin Steele, Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger, Julian Merryweather

Last night, Megan Montemurro (before the game) and Taylor McGregor (on the broadcast), provided a series of updates on five key Cubs players on the injured list: Justin Steele, Cody Bellinger, Seiya Suzuki, Kyle Hendricks, and Julian Merryweather. I know...

Michael Cerami

Apr 30, 2024

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs Have Set a New Franchise Wins Record

Sure, sure, you have to get to the context quickly enough, but for a moment, it's just fun to appreciate that we've seen Cubs history this month. With last night's dramatic win, the Cubs set a new franchise record for...

Brett Taylor

Apr 30, 2024

Chicago Cubs

MLBits: Let’s Fix the ASG Uniforms, Mike Trout on His Up-and-Down Start, Brice Turang’s Leap, More

MLB Notes — MLB, Fanatics, and Nike have committed to fixing some of the more egregious mistakes they made in designing their new "performance wear" Nike Vapor Premier uniforms in Major League Baseball. Among other things, the undersized numbers that...

Patrick K. Flowers

Apr 30, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Cubs Farm Report | April 30, 2024: Stars of the Week

The Cubs minor league affiliates were off on Monday, so it's time to take stock of some of the recent hot performers down on the farm in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report | April 30, 2024 Triple-A Iowa...

Patrick K. Flowers

Apr 30, 2024

Picks

Red Sox vs. Giants Probable Starting Pitchers – May 1

After winning their past three games, the Boston Red Sox (17-13) host the San Francisco Giants (14-16) at Fenway Park on Wednesday at 7:10 PM ET.The Red Sox will give the ball to Kutter Crawford (1-1), while the Giants' starter...

Data Skrive

May 01, 2024

Picks

Marlins vs. Rockies Probable Starting Pitchers – May 1

The Colorado Rockies (7-22) bring a three-game losing streak into a road matchup against the Miami Marlins (7-24) at 6:40 PM ET on Wednesday.The Marlins will give the nod to Roddery Munoz and the Rockies will counter with Dakota Hudson...

Data Skrive

May 01, 2024

Picks

Cubs vs. Mets Probable Starting Pitchers – May 1

The New York Mets (15-14) square off against the Chicago Cubs (18-12) at home in Queens on Wednesday. The contest begins at 7:10 PM ET.The Cubs will look to Shota Imanaga (4-0) versus the Mets and Jose Butto (0-1).Cubs vs....

Data Skrive

May 01, 2024

Chicago Cubs

Maple Leafs vs. Bruins NHL Playoffs First Round Game 6 Prediction: Picks, Live Odds and Moneyline – Thursday, May 2, 2024

The Toronto Maple Leafs are slight favorites (-115) against the Boston Bruins (-105) on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, at Scotiabank Arena.Maple Leafs vs. Bruins Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Maple Leafs (-115)Underdog: Bruins (-105)Total: 5.5Best Maple Leafs vs. Bruins Promo CodesHow...

Data Skrive

May 01, 2024

DraftKings promo code for NBA and more, Tatum props

Betting

Bet $5 with DraftKings Promo Code, Get $200 Including NBA, NHL Playoffs

While online sports betting undergoes rapid evolution, the DraftKings promotional code maintains its status as a preferred option for enthusiasts keen on wagering on the ongoing NBA & NHL playoffs. The time is now to familiarize yourself with the specifics...

Matt Rooney

May 01, 2024

Picks

Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, May 1, 2024

In a Wednesday NBA playoff slate that has two competitive contests, the Miami Heat versus the Boston Celtics is a game to watch.One of the most fun ways to wager on the NBA is via NBA player prop bets. There...

Data Skrive

May 01, 2024

Picks

Orioles vs. Yankees Probable Starting Pitchers – May 1

The Baltimore Orioles (19-10) meet the New York Yankees (19-12) in Baltimore at 6:35 PM ET on Wednesday.The probable starters are Corbin Burnes (3-0) for the Orioles and Luis Gil (1-1) for the Yankees.Orioles vs. Yankees Pitcher Matchup and Game...

Data Skrive

May 01, 2024

How to Watch

The AT&T Byron Nelson Betting Odds, Streaming Live, TV Channel – Round 1

TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, TX will host the 2024 AT&T Byron Nelson from May 2- 5 ($9.5M purse), with Jason Day the most recent winner and Jordan Spieth this year's favorite (+1400).Scottie Scheffler shot -19 to emerge victorious at...

Data Skrive

May 01, 2024

Picks

Padres vs. Reds Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, May 1, 2024

The San Diego Padres (15-18) host the Cincinnati Reds (16-14) Wednesday to close out a three-game series. The Padres are favored (-140) to win the rubber match, which starts at 4:10 PM ET from PETCO Park.Joe Musgrove will get the...

Data Skrive

May 01, 2024

Picks

Phillies vs. Angels Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Expect a display of power when Kyle Schwarber (8 HR) and the Philadelphia Phillies (20-11) take on Taylor Ward (7 HR) and the Los Angeles Angels (11-19) at Angel Stadium of Anaheim at 4:07 PM ET live on NBCS-PH. Schwarber...

Data Skrive

May 01, 2024

Jorge Soler Showing What He Can Be and Other Bullets

Read More

more cubs news

Latest News

more cubs news

Most Popular

Most Popular

Latest News

Most Popular

Most Popular