Cubs pitching is killing

[TheDude]

With the current hot streak still running, and the season reaching its 2/3 point, the Cubs have moved into having the 3rd best pitching staff in baseball statistically:

 

3rd in MLB in ERA

3rd in MLB in Fewest Runs Allowed

1st in MLB in BAA

2nd in MLB in Ks

 

The only real hole in the pitching staff is the same hole that has plagued them for years: BBs Allowed. The team is 19th best in BBs.

 

With the remaining schedule the team has, it's possible the staff gets even better, or at worst status quo.

 

Now if only we could get one more serious bat. The offense is in the lower half of all important hitting stats.

[Fred Hornkohl]

 

The only real hole in the pitching staff is the same hole that has plagued them for years: BBs Allowed. The team is 19th best in BBs.

 

 

19th best represents an improvement over recent years, no?

[TheDude]

 

The only real hole in the pitching staff is the same hole that has plagued them for years: BBs Allowed. The team is 19th best in BBs.

 

 

19th best represents an improvement over recent years, no?

 

Sadly it does. They were dead last in 2006 and 23rd in 2005.

[David]

How is it that this team so badly overlooks the importance of walks that it gives up too many and draws too few?

 

I just don't get it. Is it a coincidence?

[Electron Blue]

How is it that this team so badly overlooks the importance of walks that it gives up too many and draws too few?

 

I just don't get it. Is it a coincidence?

 

in their defense, this year show that you can be perfectly (in fact, fantastically) effective and successful as a staff while giving up so many walks.

 

Not saying it's a good idea -- long-term, I think it's a bad philosophy. Bit can work, for a while, it seems.

[AlwaysaCub]

How is it that this team so badly overlooks the importance of walks that it gives up too many and draws too few?

 

I just don't get it. Is it a coincidence?

 

in their defense, this year show that you can be perfectly (in fact, fantastically) effective and successful as a staff while giving up so many walks.

 

Not saying it's a good idea -- long-term, I think it's a bad philosophy. Bit can work, for a while, it seems.

 

It's all about the total number of baserunners you give up. Our team, by virtue of striking so many people out year after year has always had a low BAA. As long as they can be in the middle third in BB allowed, which this year they finally are, they are going to be pretty good at preventing runs.

 

Also, our infield defense this year is really helping.

[TheDude]

How is it that this team so badly overlooks the importance of walks that it gives up too many and draws too few?

 

I just don't get it. Is it a coincidence?

 

It's not coincidence. The organization likes free-swingers that can hit as well as pitchers that usually are able to strikeout said free-swingers. The Cubs pitching staff would absolutely dominate its own offense, likely racking up double-digit K's and few walks.

 

I don't expect the Cubs staff to ever break into the top 10 for fewest walks allowed in the Zambrano-ace era. Having a team that is top 3 in K's year after year with him as the ace prohibits it.

 

But 2004 is a good example of the team's best balance, given the types of starting pitchers they seek. That team was far-and-away the strikeout leaders across baseball and still remained middle-of-the-pack (16th) in walks.

 

Minnesota is the only team I have seen in recent years capable of top 5 K's and top 5 fewest walks allowed, but it requires the best as the ace (Santana) and one of the most efficient pitchers in baseball (Radke) as the number 2.

[TheDude]

It's all about the total number of baserunners you give up.

 

Very true. To list a few more meaningful numbers, the Cubs are 4th best in baseball at OBP against and 3rd best at OPS against.

 

So for this team, the walks sometimes hurt, but overall the swing-and-miss pitching is having a much greater impact than the walks.

 

To put it into perspective, Theriot is out-producing opposing teams entire offense against Cubs pitching right now.

[jersey cubs fan]

How is it that this team so badly overlooks the importance of walks that it gives up too many and draws too few?

 

I just don't get it. Is it a coincidence?

 

It's not coincidence. The organization likes free-swingers that can hit as well as pitchers that usually are able to strikeout said free-swingers. The Cubs pitching staff would absolutely dominate its own offense, likely racking up double-digit K's and few walks.

 

That's probably very true.

 

 

Similar to the slight improvement by pitchers giving up fewer walks, the Cubs offense is actually 15th in the NL in walks taken, following 2 straight years of 16th place.

[David]

How is it that this team so badly overlooks the importance of walks that it gives up too many and draws too few?

 

I just don't get it. Is it a coincidence?

 

It's not coincidence. The organization likes free-swingers that can hit as well as pitchers that usually are able to strikeout said free-swingers. The Cubs pitching staff would absolutely dominate its own offense, likely racking up double-digit K's and few walks.

 

That's probably very true.

 

 

Similar to the slight improvement by pitchers giving up fewer walks, the Cubs offense is actually 15th in the NL in walks taken, following 2 straight years of 16th place.

 

To be fair, part of the problem is probably the fact that we have 3 (maybe 4) extreme black holes in this lineup. If you could replace those guys with even decent OBP guys, we'd probably improve significantly.

 

I realize that's not saying much and you could do the same for a lot of teams.