Yu Darvish (And His MLB-Best Cutter) Deserve Some Serious Love

The offense let the team down AGAIN last night, and everyone from the players (inconsistent performance), to the manager (poor-process decisions), to the front office (insufficient roster management in the offseason) deserve criticism for it. But Yu Darvish? That man deserves some love. And so does his cutter.

Before last night’s game, I pointed out that although not all of Darvish’s last 12 starts (before last night’s game) were good ones, most of them (10) were at least 6.0 innings in length – which is important for any number of reasons. Well, Darvish delivered another 6 inning start last night (so make that 11 of his last 13), but this time, he brought a lot more to the table than that.

You can check out the full-game highlights right here, but for now, let’s enjoy these three early strikeouts – swinging on an 86 MPH cutter, looking on a 98 MPH four-seamer, and swinging on another 88 MPH cutter.

Darvish’s Final Line: 6.0 IP, 6H, 2ER, 0BB, 9Ks.

Darvish struck NINE batters out last night on the strength of an impressive 15 whiffs. That’s good for a 13.3% whiff rate, according to FanGraphs, which is among his higher rates this year. Here’s the breakdown of which pitches were generating all that wind:

Four-Seamer: 6 whiffs
Changeup: 2 whiffs
Curveball: 1 whiff
Cutter: 6 whiffs

On top of the six swinging strikes earned by his cutter, Darvish recorded ANOTHER 20 strikes looking, which is good for an 81.3% strike-rate on that pitch. Unsurprisingly, that’s tied for the third highest rating his cutter has been in a single game this season (1.8). What’s very surprising, however, is just how well his cutter ranks relative to the rest of the league …

Cutter Value Leaderboards:

  1. Yu Darvish: 19.2
  2. Martin Perez: 11.8
  3. Wade Miley: 9.2
  4. Zach Eflin: 7.1
  5. Mike Leake: 4.3
  6. Charlie Morton: 3.3
  7. Jon Lester: 3.1
  8. Brett Anderson: 3.1
  9. Walker Buehler: 2.9
  10. Hyun-Jin Ryu: 2.8

Holy. Cow. Darvish’s cutter isn’t just the best in MLB, it’s the best in MLB by a country mile. Or a city mile. Whichever one is longer. I’m pretty sure bricks and feathers weigh the same, if that helps.

Now, it’s possible that some of his higher velocity sliders are getting incorrectly classified as cutters, but both Brooks Baseball and FanGraphs have a similar relative count of each for last night, so I’m not so sure that’s much of an issue here. Instead, I just think I totally whiffed on how freakin’ excellent that pitch has been for him all season.

Speaking of all season, Darvish’s strikeout rate has crept all the way up to 27.6% while his walk rate is at an even 10.0%. But while command was an issue early on, it has not been a problem here lately. At all. Darvish has just two walks this entire month (over five starts!), which equates to a 1.7% walk rate.

And while we’re here, just look at his numbers in July …

When Darvish was at his absolute-best, his strikeout rate was basically exactly where it’s at during this stretch, but even then, his walk rate was between 7.5-9.5%. And despite living in an era where the average hard-hit rate is higher than ever (because of the juiced baseballs), his hard-hit rate both in this stretch (23.1%) and for the season (28.1%) is better than it’s ever been.

In fact, Yu Darvish’s hard-hit rate is the SECOND LOWEST in all of baseball – sandwiched between some very good pitchers:

  1. Stephen Strasburg: 27.4%
  2. Yu Darvish: 28.1%
  3. Noah Syndergaard: 28.8%

I suppose we’ll have to see if (and for how long) Darvish can keep up this pace, but for about a full month now he’s been one of the better pitchers in baseball and he’s doing it with (1) a ton of strikeouts, (2) a ton of weak contact, and (3) very few walks. You can’t ask for anything else.

Well, maybe more than 1 run a night from the offense. But don’t get greedy.

(photo by getty images)

written by

Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy. You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami

more cubs news

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...

Wrigley Field is Gonna Be Lit This Year (As in New Colored Lights!)

Last year, the Cubs started using their new LED outfield lights to do a little dancing display during 'Go Cubs Go,' lighting along with the song and throwing in a W. It was very fun and I liked it. This...

Latest News

Braves vs. Phillies: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

Spencer Strider will take the ball for the Atlanta Braves when they take on starter Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies in their season opener on Friday, with first pitch at 3:05 PM ET.If you're trying to watch this game,...

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 begin their season as -226 favorites in a home tilt against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Arizona's Zac Gallen gets the start, and he'll go against Colorado's Kyle Freeland.Diamondbacks vs. Rockies...

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

The Seattle Mariners begin their season as -155 favorites in a home tilt against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN.Luis Castillo takes the mound for Seattle while Brayan Bello is Boston's starter for...

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...

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

On Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, the Milwaukee Bucks meet the New Orleans Pelicans, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's 3-pointer prop for this clash requires just one trey.Giannis Antetokounmpo's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansGiannis Antetokounmpo's over/under for three-pointers in this game:...

more cubs news