What's ailing Jake?

[Sammy Sofa]

Let's guess what injury or terrible disease he is suffering from.

 

I say it's a tossup between Boneitis and drinking from the wrong Grail cup.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

I don't know. But it's definitely Lackey's fault.

[Sammy Sofa]

I don't know. But it's definitely Lackey's fault.

 

I like the way you think.

[Cubswin11]

Contaminated kale/protein/juice drinks, IMO

[Ding Dong Johnson]

the Michael J Fox thing

[imb]

can we trade him back for feldman

[Cubswin11]

can we trade him back for feldman

The real coup would be to get Clevenger back

[Transmogrified Tiger]

COUNTERPOINT

 

[tweet]https://twitter.com/kazuto_yamazaki/status/747592823432613888[/tweet]

[Liam Neeson]

He got bit by something in the desert when he took his clothes off for that magazine.

[Derwood]

He got the clap from Sandberg's wife

[cl smooth]

he probably misses his old glasses.

[BillyBuck]

I heard the Sox got some guy called The Shield or something they might be willing to trade us ..

[Omar]

Kale shortage

[LeftCoastCubFan]

http://images.sunfrogshirts.com/2014/07/10/Keep-Calm-and-let-JAKE-Handle-it-Personalized-T-Shirt-SE.jpg

[Banedon]

Jake was good all of last season, but it wasn't until August and September that he was really incredible and unhittable. I expect a reasonably strong July before going full Jake for the rest of the year.

[sneakypower]

the saxx are chafing him

[Tryptamine]

That inability to locate a fastball while relying on the slider to get strikes started sending me down Carlos Marmol memory lane.

[Agony and Ivy]

That inability to locate a fastball while relying on the slider to get strikes started sending me down Carlos Marmol memory lane.

 

Which for me screams mechanics. I honestly don't think it's injury because if it were then he's letting it drop his value significantly and I don't think Jake is going to do that with his one chance to get a mega deal just a year and a half away.

[Derwood]

Last 5 starts, Arrieta has downgraded from "God Mode" to merely "Very Good"

 

3-2, 3.54 ERA, 28.0 IP, 23 H, 15 BB, 36 K, 1 HR, 1.35 WHIP

 

Concerns:

 

- Averaging just 5 2/3 IP/start over last 5 starts

- Walks are going way up (15 in 5 starts vs. 25 in previous 11 starts)

 

Reasons optimism:

 

- Getting outlucked with an opponent BABIP of .324 over the stretch

- OpAvg is just .219, and OpSLG is just .314 over the stretch

[Agony and Ivy]

That inability to locate a fastball while relying on the slider to get strikes started sending me down Carlos Marmol memory lane.

 

Which for me screams mechanics. I honestly don't think it's injury because if it were then he's letting it drop his value significantly and I don't think Jake is going to do that with his one chance to get a mega deal just a year and a half away.

 

Just glancing at Brooks Baseball. His release points seem fine when compared to last year, so that backs up the not an injury idea. I'll bet it's front side mechanics and hitters adjusting like they did to Keuchel. Luckily Jake has great stuff so he can re-adjust and stay in the zone and still beat hitters.

[sneakypower]

Last 5 starts, Arrieta has downgraded from "God Mode" to merely "Very Good"

 

3-2, 3.54 ERA, 28.0 IP, 23 H, 15 BB, 36 K, 1 HR, 1.35 WHIP

well we wanted Tyson Ross, looks like we got him

[PackLandVA]

He's no spring chicken. I'm thinking early-onset menopause.

[CubinNY]

He's clearly suffering from macular degeneration. They need a beeper in the catcher's mitt.

[Cubswin11]

Last 5 starts, Arrieta has downgraded from "God Mode" to merely "Very Good"

 

3-2, 3.54 ERA, 28.0 IP, 23 H, 15 BB, 36 K, 1 HR, 1.35 WHIP

 

Concerns:

 

- Averaging just 5 2/3 IP/start over last 5 starts

- Walks are going way up (15 in 5 starts vs. 25 in previous 11 starts)

 

Reasons optimism:

 

- Getting outlucked with an opponent BABIP of .324 over the stretch

- OpAvg is just .219, and OpSLG is just .314 over the stretch

On the BABIP part, I would think it's common for a pitcher struggling with control issues (often finding himself behind in the count) for their BABIP to rise as batters are in more advantageous counts/can eliminate certain pitches and sit on a pitch. No?

[stitchface]

Last 5 starts, Arrieta has downgraded from "God Mode" to merely "Very Good"

 

3-2, 3.54 ERA, 28.0 IP, 23 H, 15 BB, 36 K, 1 HR, 1.35 WHIP

 

Concerns:

 

- Averaging just 5 2/3 IP/start over last 5 starts

- Walks are going way up (15 in 5 starts vs. 25 in previous 11 starts)

 

Reasons optimism:

 

- Getting outlucked with an opponent BABIP of .324 over the stretch

- OpAvg is just .219, and OpSLG is just .314 over the stretch

On the BABIP part, I would think it's common for a pitcher struggling with control issues (often finding himself behind in the count) for their BABIP to rise as batters are in more advantageous counts/can eliminate certain pitches and sit on a pitch. No?

 

Possible but I think it's just regression. The Cubs BABIP for the first couple months was unsustainable and Arrieta's led the way. Looking at those numbers though, it's pretty much the walks.