I mean, this is just *perfect*. I guarantee it looked exactly like his two-seamer coming out of his hand, and a lefty has absolutely no chance against this pitch, especially where it is located:
That’s two Cubs starters in a row (with Jon Lester the day before him) who look extremely ready to go.
Victor Caratini went deep in the game against the White Sox, with something of a rocket shot to the right center. I did not think this was going out off the bat:
Here’s the thing about Eloy Jimenez. I think we can totally feel bummed that we don’t get to watch him come up with the Cubs, and enjoy the absurd things he’s probably going to do at the plate (and thus feel that bumming whenever we see a highlight). I think it’s fair to feel that way, while simultaneously feeling good about the trade the Cubs made last year, and feeling great about having a pitcher like Jose Quintana in the fold. So, then, you aren’t insulting Quintana or the Cubs when you feel a pang of sadness when you see a great shot like this:
Jason Heyward led off the game against the White Sox and did nothing, but then again, Lucas Giolito was making all the Cubs look bad – he struck out 8 in just 4.0 innings – so whatever. I remain of the mind that I don’t love Heyward for the leadoff spot unless (1) the Cubs feel like it’ll kickstart him individually, and (2) they’re gonna leave him there every single game for a solid month to find out. (And even that plan, obviously, would be fraught with risk. They’d have to be REALLY sure about number one.)
In the nightcap, the Cubs lost only their third game of the spring, with the Dodgers coming back late to beat them. Dillon Maples was the primary culprit, giving up a three-run homer to Enrique Hernandez. You were reminded how quickly something like that can happen to a reliever, though, as his inning started with a groundball single and a walk. Then, boom, three-run homer. Maples then went strikeout, groundout, groundout to quickly end the frame. On the homer, he was supposed to put his fastball on the outer edge, but he missed dead smack in the middle of the plate. Even with premium velocity, a big league hitter is gonna jump on that.
Eddie Butler threw a couple perfect innings in this one, and remains a really tough case for the Cubs. Out of options, the Cubs cannot send Butler to Iowa at the end of Spring Training without first passing him through waivers. It’s hard to see a rebuilding club not taking a chance on him for their 25-man roster, because heck, they could stash him in their bullpen without losing anything. His talent remains obvious, his arsenal is deep, and he’s only just about to turn 27. Some team is going to want to see if they can finally solve his command troubles.
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.
In the top of the seventh inning of today's 8-3 win over the Miami Marlins, Alexander Canario trotted out to left field in place of Ian Happ. At first, we thought (or maybe just hoped) that Craig Counsell was giving...
And just like that the Chicago Cubs are the first team in the NL Central to reach 12 wins! They're not technically in first place yet because the Brewers (11-6) have played fewer games, but we're talking about a matter...
With a lefty Marlins starter on the mound this afternoon, Nico Hoerner lead off today's game for the Chicago Cubs. And he did it in style, ripping a leadoff double to the left-center field wall, before coming into score a...
*The Cubs were rained out yesterday, but today? Today, we've got a Friday 1:20 start at Wrigley Field, and that means all is right in the world. Before you take a look at the Cubs lineup against Miami, check out...
Happy Friday! Well, for everyone except for the pilots who were supposed to be manning the Colorado Rockies flight last week but instead allowed a member of the Rockies coaching staff to hop in the pilot's seat for a fun...
Justin Steele, arguably the single most irreplaceable player on the Chicago Cubs 2024 roster, went down with a hamstring injury just 4.2 innings into his Opening Day start against the Rangers on March 28. In his place, the Cubs sixth...
If you do this job long enough, it's really wild to see the range of topics that can somehow become attached to sports. That is to say, I did not envision myself at some point writing about flight safety, cockpit...
The Iowa Cubs were rained out, but the rest of the farm was in action, and so was Kevin Alcántara, who picked up four hits and now has seven in his last three games as he breaks out of an...
Well, the rain stole one from us yesterday, which is a blessing and a curse. On the bright side, the bullpen gets an extra day of rest (on top of the day Hayden Wesneski bought them). But on the flip...
The Chicago Cubs are against theft. Of bases: https://twitter.com/codifybaseball/status/1781046629103231339 The Chicago Cubs this year have stolen just three bases, the fewest in all of baseball. Dansby Swanson has stolen two bases, Nick Madrigal has stolen one. That's it. I don't...
On Saturday, Zac Gallen will take the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks (9-11) versus Kyle Harrison and the San Francisco Giants (9-11), with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 PM ET at Oracle Park.The article below will provide you with everything...
The Los Angeles Dodgers (12-9), with Gavin Stone on the mound, host the New York Mets (10-8) who will start Jose Butto, at 4:05 PM ET on Saturday in a series opener.Keep reading to find out all the details on...
On Saturday, Miles Mikolas will start for the St. Louis Cardinals (9-10) versus D.L. Hall and the Milwaukee Brewers (11-6), with first pitch scheduled for 2:15 PM ET at Busch Stadium.If you're planning on watching this game, keep reading for...
On Saturday, Javier Assad will start for the Chicago Cubs (12-7) versus Jesus Luzardo and the Miami Marlins (4-16), with first pitch scheduled for 2:20 PM ET at Wrigley Field.If you're intending to watch this game, keep reading for TV...
Bailey Ober will take the mound for the Minnesota Twins (6-11) when they host starting pitcher Reese Olson and the Detroit Tigers (10-9) in a series opener on Saturday, with first pitch at 2:10 PM ET.Keep reading to find out...
Nestor Cortes Jr. will take the mound for the New York Yankees (14-6) when they host starting pitcher Zach Eflin and the Tampa Bay Rays (11-10) on Saturday, with first pitch at 1:05 PM ET.Keep reading to find out all...
The Cincinnati Reds (10-9), led by Elly De La Cruz, host Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels (9-11) on Saturday at 6:40 PM ET.Keep reading to see how to watch the Cincinnati-Los Angeles matchup below.When is Reds vs. Angels...
The Cleveland Guardians (14-6), led by Josh Naylor, host Abraham Toro and the Oakland Athletics (8-12) at 6:10 PM ET on Saturday.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to watch Cleveland play Oakland live.When is Guardians vs....
The Seattle Mariners (9-10), who will give the start to Luis Castillo, visit the Colorado Rockies (4-15) with Dakota Hudson on the mound, Saturday at 8:10 PM ET.If you're intending to watch this game, keep reading for TV and streaming...
Corbin Burnes takes the mound for the Baltimore Orioles (12-6) when they visit starting pitcher Cole Ragans and the Kansas City Royals (12-7) at 7:10 PM ET on Saturday.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to watch...
NEWSLETTER
