The Chicago Cubs have stumbled off the blocks this season, going 7-9 over their first 15 games. Joe Maddon’s boys are stuck at the bottom of the National League Central, four games off the pace set by the Milwaukee Brewers. So, what in the world is wrong with the Cubs?
Troubled Arms
Starting pitching has been disappointing for the Cubs, to say the least. Sure, Cole Hamels and Jon Lester have been good, as both of them make for three out of their five wins this season. However, the rest of their rotation has been a nightmare. Jose Quintana has a 5.14 ERA and almost allows eleven hits per game. Kyle Hendricks is not far off either, with a 5.40 ERA and has allowed 16 hits per game. Furthermore, he has failed to record a win in any of his three starts. Yu Darvish’s stats will not be mentioned in this article out of respect to Cubs’ faithful.
Their pitching problems are evident. The Cubs rank 12th in ERA in the N.L. going into Tuesday’s game, and bullpen has a single save at this point in the season.
Cold Bats
Maddon sure fills out a lineup card for every game. However, some key bats do not do much on the field.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo is batting for a mediocre .182, three homers and 10 RBI. Javier Baez has decent numbers with a .288 BA, four home runs and 13 runs batted in. However, Baez has slowly returned to his former self as he has already struck out 22 times at the plate. Ironically, Jason Heyward, who has traditionally disappointed in Cubs’ pinstripes, is having a good start at the plate, posting a .349 BA, three homers, 10 RBI, and has only struck out five times.
Despite their struggles at the plate, their offense is not as bad as it seems. The Cubs have the 4th best batting average in the majors. Their OBP and slugging better than most, as they rank 3rd and 10th in the league.
Wounded Bears
Wrigley Field has turned into Chicago’s busiest hospital. Names come and go as their injured list updates faster than a 15-year-old teen Instagram account. Tony Barnette, Victor Caratini, Xavier Cedeno, Brandon Morrow and many more are among the Cubs’ biggest casualties so far this season. Elbow problems, back issues, hamstring injuries, etc. Chicago’s Injury List is a fine assortment of physical struggles worthy of the 2018 New York Mets. Continuing this trend marks inconsistency for a team struggling.
Fix It While You Still Can
The Chicago Cubs are in the middle of a tricky situation early in the season. While their record is not the worst in the big leagues, they are still at fourth place in their division. Furthermore, if this gets out of hand they may not be able to catch Milwaukee. It is clear that pitching is the largest of their problems and it is the only problem they can fix themselves. Their work on the mound has let them down so far and a tiebreaker will not be there to save them, especially if the product does not trend up.