https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/page/194/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/4-prospects-the-cubs-might-focus-on-with-the-81-pick-r138/This week, we’ll spend some time looking at prospects the Cubs might take with the 81st overall pick. As usual with these pieces, the goal is not to make predictions, rather, to give an overview of the type of talent that might be available to teams with this pick. I’ve used these prospects’ cur...138Tue, 20 Jun 2023 15:10:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/youve-never-seen-anything-quite-like-marcus-stromans-2023-sinker-r139/The Cubs' co-ace goes again tonight. As the team heats up and closes what was once a daunting gap in the NL Central, Marcus Stroman's stellar season is becoming a bigger story. It's all (well, ok, it's partly) thanks to a sinker heavier than any other in baseball. According to Baseball Savan...139Tue, 20 Jun 2023 12:20:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/unlocking-julian-merryweather-is-a-huge-milestone-for-the-cubs-r137/One of the worst things about being late to a party is that, if you try to jump in with some jokes right away, they'll fall flat. You didn't quite read the room well enough. You're a little out of sync. The Cubs were late to the party when it comes to triple-digit relief pitching monsters. They'...137Mon, 19 Jun 2023 17:10:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/there-were-2003-vibes-at-wrigley-field-this-weekend-r136/Every season is its own entity. We shouldn't spend all our time comparing the present to the past, or situating each moment in the context of other ones. Yet, the lifeblood of the game is its history, and we understand baseball better when we let ourselves appreciate the connections between one...136Mon, 19 Jun 2023 12:20:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/is-nico-hoerner-back-in-the-groove-r135/It's getting hot in Wrigleyville. The Cubs are still below .500, but they've reeled off a more substantial cluster of wins than it seemed they might all season. Of all the good things suddenly happening there, though, the best news is that Nico Hoerner is raking again. Quietly, one of the bi...135Sun, 18 Jun 2023 12:20:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/were-starting-over-r134/Among Boog Sciambi's miniature trademark calls, my favorite comes when a game is tied up, especially in the middle innings. "We're starting over," he says. It's versatile, too. He just changes his tone and inflection, based on whether the Cubs just erased a deficit or blew a lead. Two and a half...134Sat, 17 Jun 2023 12:23:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/draft-preview-five-pitchers-to-watch-r133/This will be the final installment in the #PersonalCheeseball series as we look at five pitchers who should expect to be off the board in the Top 10 rounds. Could any of these five pitchers exceed expectations and lead a rotation in the future? The term “personal cheeseball” (better represen...133Thu, 15 Jun 2023 15:23:39 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/5-prospects-the-cubs-might-focus-on-with-the-68-overall-mlb-draft-pick-r130/This week, we’ll spend some time looking at prospects the Cubs might focus on with the 68th overall pick. As usual with these pieces, the goal is not to make predictions, rather, to give an overview of the type of talent that might be available to teams with this pick. I’ve used these prospects’...130Wed, 14 Jun 2023 12:50:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/do-we-need-to-account-more-for-the-schedule-when-assessing-the-cubs-r132/The Cubs’ seasonal arc, to date, can be traced by checking in on them against each of their AL West opponents. Early on, they had exciting and emotional wins over the Rangers and Mariners, and then an affirming sweep of the A’s. By contrast, excruciating and deflating losses to the Astros and Ma...132Tue, 13 Jun 2023 12:20:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/mike-tauchman-is-why-everyone-is-careful-with-injuries-anymore-r131/Have you noticed that players play through fewer bouts of soreness or tsuris than they did even 10 years ago? Do you see rehab assignments that don't feel necessary in the first place stretch out to a full week? Do you want to see teams be a bit less conservative with injuries? You know who's to...131Mon, 12 Jun 2023 12:29:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/kyle-hendrickss-two-changeups-have-finalized-their-divorce-r129/For years, careful observers have noticed that Kyle Hendricks relies not on one changeup, but on two distinct ones: a traditional, fading one, and one with less movement but a highly deceptive cut to it, away from a right-handed batter. Now, though, it doesn't even take a careful observer. N...129Sun, 11 Jun 2023 12:25:21 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/a-new-level-of-self-awareness-has-pushed-marcus-stroman-to-new-heights-r128/The Cubs ace's ERA actually rose Friday night. He got the team 20 outs and claimed his seventh win, but because he allowed two earned runs, he ticked up to 2.42 for the season. That's a fair reflection of how he pitched, too. He wasn't dominant. He didn't have his best stuff. Yet, he found somet...128Sat, 10 Jun 2023 11:54:26 +0000