Well, my friends, we made it. Almost exactly one month after Brett’s back surgery put him on the shelf, he’s ready to come back full-time. I’m still your man today for bullets and game coverage, but I’ll be handing the keys back over tomorrow and settling back into my complimentary role. All together, I wrote 194 articles over the past month, as we watched the Cubs go 15-10 before today’s finale in New York (that’s a 97-win pace… I’ll take it).
Soon, I rest. But first, bullets.
We covered the hell out of last night’s wild ending from our initial HOLY CRAP reaction to Brett’s more thoughtful rundown of the rules and the reason why the Mets are probably right to be mad … even though they are still technically wrong. So if you’re looking for more, there you go. But we’re otherwise moving on from that conversation.
Although he was a critical part of last night’s game-ending double-play, Ian Happ has been riding the struggle bus offensively. There’s no question about that. Thanks to a fairly hot start (and a 13.7% walk rate on the year), Happ still has a .331 OBP and 92 wRC+, but you can’t watch his at-bats without seeing how off he is at the moment. So many in-between swings, so much weak contact, so many strikeouts (15Ks over his last 10 games). And the strange part is, his usual splits are reversed (as a lefty: 91 wRC+, as a righty: 98 wRC+). Sample is small as a righty, but it’s still weird.
And Dansby Swanson is right there with him. Over his last 12 games, Swanson is striking out 37.2% of the time while slashing .200/.256/.275 (55 wRC+). He’s making plenty of hard contact (50%) and barreling up (12.5%) when he does connect, but that’s clearly just not happening often enough. And like Happ, you can just SEE that he looks lost at the plate. Swanson was streaky last year too, so you hope that’s all this is. But the fact that he, Happ, Busch, and Morel all slumped at basically the same time — while Seiya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger are out — is just brutal. I mean, they have scored only 10 runs over their last 5 games. Not good.
At least Craig Counsell brought that stupid Brewers luck down with him from Milwaukee, because the Cubs are straight stealing Ws lately.
On the flip side, Pete Crow-Armstrong looks a LOT more comfortable at the plate lately. No, his production hasn’t been out-of-this-world (and I’m not sure he can actually put down a bunt), but he just LOOKS so much more steady and calm than he did before that first homer. It’s night and day. Meanwhile, despite a rocket-double last night, which led to the game-winning run, Matt Mervis looks like he’s still completely pressing. And it’s frustrating, because you know he has the talent, but it is just not working right now. Clearly. So … what happens?
Well, at first, probably nothing. It seems like the Cubs are intent on giving Mervis the full run while Bellinger is out, which is fine by me. It really is a good opportunity, and really only coming at the expense of Alexander Canario, who should have plenty more time to prove he deserves a job in Chicago. Mervis, on the other hand, his time horizon is much shorter. And if his luck doesn’t change, while Tauchman keeps hitting and PCA looks comfortable at the plate, I could definitely see Mervis being the odd man out when Bellinger is ready.
As the Cubs look to ease Bellinger back in after his rib fractures, you can simply park PCA in center, keep Tauchman in right, and alternate 1B/DH between Michael Busch, Cody Bellinger, and even Alexander Canario/Patrick Wisdom, if there’s a lefty. And then, when Suzuki is back, you can take another look at what’s working or not. Maybe PCA looks worse, maybe Tauchman cools off, maybe Happ or Busch are still slumping, maybe someone else got hurt, etc.
My point here is this: I think PCA may actually be playing himself into staying, despite a promise from the Cubs that he definitely was going back down. And I think that might come at the expense of Mervis, if he doesn’t turn it around very soon.
I just got this Hotwheels set for my son off Amazon yesterday and it is awesome for three main reasons: (1) It’s Hotwheels. (2) It was extremely easy to put the track together. (3) And it’s a closed loop track with a guided entrance, so even my son, who is not yet 2, was able to load up cars and send them shooting off over and over. It really is a good one and I really did buy it. #ad
MLB Network has had Cubs players on all week while they’re in New York, but this was an odd interview: Here you have Jordan Wicks, who’s out injured with dreaded forearm tightness, but no news on how severe it is (or how the imaging went), but not once was the question asked. And that’s DESPITE them talking about the pitching staff and all the injuries the Cubs dealing with. I wonder if the Cubs told MLB Network that topic was off limits? Sure feels like it. Otherwise, what a whiff.
We’ll wait to dig into Shota Imanaga’s utter dominance (once again) soon enough. But until then, check out this excellent defensive play from last night’s game. Not only did Imanaga demonstrate good instincts and athleticism, but his communication and direction to Busch literally saved the play.
But also, stop ranging so far right, Michael Busch!
By all accounts, Justin Steele’s rehab start went well yesterday. He’s working out with Iowa today and will head back to Chicago to join the Cubs on Friday. Craig Counsell (et al) are being cagey about when he’ll be activated, but it feels like regular old subterfuge. My guess, his next start is May 6 with the Chicago Cubs.
Although I missed this myself, Aldo Soto said that during the broadcast last night, Taylor McGregor reported that Suzuki took swings on the field today and feels 80%. Adding that he should be able to go out on a rehab assignment “pretty soon,” hopefully returning to Chicago in a few weeks.
Jefferson Rojas, the “next big thing” in Cubs prospectdom, is currently one game short of tying the South Bend Cubs record for longest hitting streak (17 games, first set by Eloy Jimenez in 2016). During his active 16-game hitting streak, Rojas is slashing .368/.405/.471 (140 wRC+) with just a 14.9% strikeout rate. And don’t forget, he’s doing this in High-A … as a shortstop … despite turning 19 years old just ONE WEEK AGO.
NEWSLETTER
