Happy Hayden Wesneski Day!
Tonight, the Chicago Cubs surprise mid-season prospect acquisition, Hayden Wesneski, will make his fourth and final big league start of the season. And so far, it’s gone quite well.
Across three starts and two very long relief appearances (27.0 IP total), Wesneski has managed to earn a 2.33 ERA with a shockingly impressive 1.70 xERA. He’s achieved those results and peripherals on the strength of strong strikeout (25%) and walk (5.6%) rates, as well as truly excellent contact management: 85.0 MPH average EV, 5.4 barrel%, 28.4 hard%, 45.2 GB%, and so on. It’s really quite impressive. He’s going to be the talk of the offseason, even if the Cubs probably shouldn’t head into 2023 with him penciled into a rotation spot right off the bat.
He remains one of the best reasons to watch the Cubs as the season winds down.
Opposing Wesneski is Reds righty Hunter Greene, coming off an extremely impressive stretch of strikeouts and command: 43 Ks, 7 BBs over his last five starts. But the Cubs bats have been red hot. So the buck stops here.
P.S. Tonight, I’m heading into the hospital with my wife to have our first baby. Wish us luck and GO CUBS!
Game Info
Chicago Cubs (73-86) at Cincinnati Reds (60-99) – Monday, October 3 at 5:40 CT on Marquee, 670 The Score
Starting Pitchers
Reds: Hunter Greene, RHP
Cubs: Hayden Wesneski, RHP
Chicago Cubs (Lineup Discussion):
- Zach McKinstry, 3B
- Esteban Quiroz, 2B
- Seiya Suzuki, RF
- Ian Happ, LF
- Nico Hoerner, SS
- Franmil Reyes, DH
- Alfonso Rivas, 1B
- Yan Gomes, C
- Chris Morel, CF
Cincinnati Reds:
- TJ Friedl, CF
- Jonathan India, DH
- Kyle Farmer, 3B
- Jake Fraley, LF
- Donovan Solano, 1B
- Spencer Steer, 2B
- Aristides Aquino, RF
- Jose Barrero, SS
- Austin Romine, C