Jon Lester Isn’t About the Data, the Rotation is in Peril, Happy Schwarberversary, and Other Bullets

The Wife and I watched ‘IT’ last night, which I thought was kinda disappointing on the whole. A little too much heavy leaning on “this thing looks really scary doesn’t it?!?” instead of the creepy tension that I always associated with the original miniseries (which, by the way, is campy as hell if you ever go back and watch it now … so bad (except for Tim Curry as Pennywise – that holds up well)). The scariest parts of the movie were, by far, the early moments where they just showed a little bit here and there and mostly alluded to the terror, rather than trying to beat you over the head with it.

About an hour into the movie, we got a text from our out-of-town neighbor, who’d realized they left stuff out in their garage that they needed put into their garage fridge. So, I went over and did it, and I just want to say that I am extremely brave.

  • This will read much worse to you without the entire context of what Jon Lester said about what he’s concerned about, and what his job is (so my advice is to read the whole Athletic piece, as it’s an excellent look at the relationship between the data geeks and the players on the field):
  • Whether Lester cares about the “analytics BS” or not, the Cubs very much care about it, and their job is to translate it into something actually useful for Lester. In turn, it’s his job to keep working on implementing the game plan, executing his pitches, and working in the zone a bit more. I have zero concerns about Lester, at this point in his career, putting in the work. He will. I also have zero concerns about whether Lester cares about the analytics – that’s for the Cubs employees who work on that stuff to care about (and, to a less important extent, us).
  • As for the outing yesterday, it was a disaster all around. Lester says he’s mechanically been off for a while (NBC), and could see this start coming for a while. On the bright side, Lester did not get absolutely smoked yesterday – it was more like, a lot of firm contact, and not much soft contact. As we’ve discussed all year, sometimes, with this defense, that’ll be just fine. And sometimes, he’ll have a start like yesterday. If he can execute his pitches a bit better and tighten up the command, he’ll be far less likely to have the kind of extreme blowup start like he did yesterday.
  • (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)

  • There are a TON of caveats to this FanGraphs piece on the Cubs being on pace for their worst rotation ever (not the least of which is that it’s by just one measurement, when there are others that have the Cubs’ rotation as above average *this* year), so I wouldn’t really let that headline be your whole takeaway. But it’s completely fair to note that the Cubs’ rotation has been wildly disappointing on the whole this season, and we aren’t exactly getting signals that there’s an immediate turnaround on the horizon.
  • Victor Caratini, Gold Glove pitcher:
  • Happy anniversary:
  • Josh Hader did some more public apologizing in a meeting with the media yesterday, surrounded by Brewers teammates, with whom he’d met earlier.
  • That’s nuts:
  • The Bears have opened up training camp, and Luis is there on the ground to have a look. Make sure you’re following TYL on Twitter if you want to see for yourself:
  • Fanatics still has a clearance event going on, so you can peruse the goodies here.
  • 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

    Cubs Farm Report | April 23, 2024: Studs and Duds of the Week

    As I typed this, news broke that the Cubs were promoting Matt Mervis from Iowa to Chicago. So, we'll start this week's Studs and Duds on the Cubs farm with Mervis, who has been impressive this season. Plus, Kevin Alcántara...

    What Happened to Bears’ Arlington Move? Watch Out For Cards, New and Texans Unis, and Other Bears Bullets

    This afternoon's forecast in Chicago calls for afternoon rainstorms, which means I need to tweak my schedule to get my regularly scheduled walk in without getting soaked. Wish me luck! The Chicago Bears are reportedly set to announce lakefront stadium...

    Get ‘Em While They’re Down: Cubs vs Astros – Series Preview

    Cubs vs Astros — Splitting a four-gamer against the current, badly-struggling Miami Marlins is unquestionably a bad outcome, especially when one of those two losses was a win-in-hand that slipped away into the seats. But the typical, and maddeningly correct,...

    REPORT: Cubs Are Calling Up Matt Mervis and Hayden Wesneski

    I was literally in the middle of an article asking "What Are the Cubs Going to Do with Matt Mervis," when this news came across the wire. The Cubs first base picture is fully settled with the left-handed Michael Busch...

    South Side Horror Show (and Campfire Milkshakes), Alzolay and Evolving Relief Roles, and Other Cubs Bullets

    It's going to be a really good year for Horror movies. Late Night with the Devil was good (just saw it the other night). And I've got my eyes on Long Legs, Cuckoo, The First Omen, Immaculate, MaXXXine, In a...

    Two NL Central Pitchers Down: Miley and Montas

    A couple injuries to note among other NL Central contenders, as each of the Brewers and Reds have taken a hit to their rotation. The presumption for now is short-term on each, but I suppose we'll see. First, you have...

    Brewers Pitcher Jakob Junis Taken Off Field in an Ambulance After Being Struck by BP Ball

    A very scary scene in Pittsburgh, where Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jakob Junis, currently on the IL with a shoulder impingement, took a batting practice ball off the neck and went down. Junis was apparently on the ground for a long...

    Nico Hoerner is Back to Being Nico Hoerner

    On April 9, I took an early look at Nico Hoerner's apparently evolving approach at the plate, which featured a lot more patience and a lot more big hacks. Effectively, it seemed like he was trying for a little more...

    MLBits: Spencer Strider Speaks (His and Other Pitcher Arm Injuries), Shohei Ohtani’s Latest Milestone, More

    There's been much debate about pitcher arm injuries lately, much of it sparked by Spencer Strider's season-ending Tommy John surgery, and Strider spoke to the media for the first time since the injury on Friday. Spencer Strider on pitcher arm...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Lefty Pitching Prospect Mitchell Tyranski

    A new signing popped up on the Chicago Cubs' transaction log: lefty Mitchell Tyranski. Tyranski, 26, put up a 3.83 ERA over 42.1 innings at High-A last year in the Dodgers organization, striking out 47 and walking 21. Were you...

    Latest News

    Giants vs. Mets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    The San Francisco Giants (11-13) are set to take on the New York Mets (12-10) Tuesday at 9:45 PM ET, airing on NBCS-BA. The Giants are listed as -137 favorites by oddsmakers, while the underdog Mets have +115 odds for...

    Orioles vs. Angels Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    The Baltimore Orioles (15-7) will vie for their fourth straight victory when they visit the Los Angeles Angels (9-14) on Tuesday at 9:38 PM ET on BSW. The Orioles are listed as -161 favorites by bookmakers, while the Angels are...

    Myles Turner Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    At 8:30 PM ET on Tuesday, in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Indiana Pacers versus the Milwaukee Bucks, with Myles Turner needing three treys to beat his 3-pointer over/under.Myles Turner's Three-Pointer Prop...

    Pascal Siakam Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    At 8:30 PM ET on Tuesday, in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, it'll be the Indiana Pacers versus the Milwaukee Bucks, with Pascal Siakam needing two treys to beat his 3-pointer prop.Pascal Siakam's Three-Pointer Prop...

    Tyrese Haliburton Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers meet the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday at 8:30 PM ET in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point over/under, he must make three from beyond the arc.Tyrese Haliburton's...

    Bobby Portis Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pacers – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    The Milwaukee Bucks face the Indiana Pacers at 8:30 PM ET on Tuesday, in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer props available for this matchup requires two trifectas from Bobby Portis.Bobby...

    Damian Lillard Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pacers – NBA Playoffs Game 2, Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    On Tuesday at 8:30 PM ET, the Milwaukee Bucks meet the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and Damian Lillard's 3-pointer over/under for this clash requires four trifectas.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs....

    Things You Love to See: Rome Odunze and Caleb Williams are Already Getting Along

    Caleb Williams will be the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears next season. We've known that for some time, and it will become official on Thursday. The only question that remains is who's joining him? There's a strong chance that...

    Padres vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Tuesday, April 23, 2024

    The San Diego Padres (13-12) are favorites (-152) on the moneyline when they take on the Colorado Rockies (5-18) Tuesday at 8:40 PM ET, live on COLR.San Diego's Michael King and Colorado's Ryan Feltner have been named the starters for...

    Orioles vs. Angels Probable Starting Pitchers – April 23

    The Los Angeles Angels (9-14), who lost their previous five games, take on the Baltimore Orioles (15-7) at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Tuesday. First pitch is at 9:38 PM ET.This contest's pitching matchup is set, as the Orioles will...

    more cubs news

    Latest News