Cubs (Imanaga) vs Phillies (Luzardo): 4/15/26, 5:40pm

[mul21]

11 hours ago, Bertz said:

Please be more than just a simple hot streak please be more than just a simple hot streak please....

Dansby?  Or someone else?

[Bertz]

Looking at upcoming schedule:

- He's eligible to come off the IL but as far as I can tell no Juan Soto this weekend against the Mets

- We are slated to miss Ohtani/Glasnow/Yamamoto against the Dodgers and instead get Sasaki, Sheehan, and Wrobleski, which feels like a HUGE gift

- We are slated to miss Michael King against the Padres, and currently he is their only SP I'd be at all intimidated by (absolutely not buying the Randy Vasquez breakout).  Though Griffin Canning might be back by then?

The schedule the next two weeks is not kind but luckily we seem to be timing it where it'll be tough rather than terrifying.

[Bertz]

2 minutes ago, mul21 said:

Dansby?  Or someone else?

Yeah Dansby.  A lot of his numbers are up right now, but in a way that is probably normal "this is just what a hot streak looks like" way, but the pulled fly balls have me wondering if that might be a legit change.

[mul21]

8 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Yeah Dansby.  A lot of his numbers are up right now, but in a way that is probably normal "this is just what a hot streak looks like" way, but the pulled fly balls have me wondering if that might be a legit change.

Which is weird considering how we heard about him taking a more CF oriented approach in the spring.

[Bertz]

1 minute ago, mul21 said:

Which is weird considering how we heard about him taking a more CF oriented approach in the spring.

Right?!  Was that subterfuge, is this SSS noise, or is it one of those things where like him aiming up the middle ironically helps him pull?  I could actually see the latter, when he's struggling he pulls off the ball a ton.  Aim for the middle knowing you're naturally going to be a bit early makes sense.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

59 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Looking at upcoming schedule:

- He's eligible to come off the IL but as far as I can tell no Juan Soto this weekend against the Mets

- We are slated to miss Ohtani/Glasnow/Yamamoto against the Dodgers and instead get Sasaki, Sheehan, and Wrobleski, which feels like a HUGE gift

- We are slated to miss Michael King against the Padres, and currently he is their only SP I'd be at all intimidated by (absolutely not buying the Randy Vasquez breakout).  Though Griffin Canning might be back by then?

The schedule the next two weeks is not kind but luckily we seem to be timing it where it'll be tough rather than terrifying.

We are missing McClean for the Mets as well

[squally1313]

Cubs now fourth in baseball in overall offensive fWAR production. 8th in wOBA, actually getting some luck there compared to xwOBA (8 points better), 9th in wRC, 6th in baserunning, 7th in defense. 

21st in pitching. 

[Bertz]

13 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Cubs now fourth in baseball in overall offensive fWAR production. 8th in wOBA, actually getting some luck there compared to xwOBA (8 points better), 9th in wRC, 6th in baserunning, 7th in defense. 

21st in pitching. 

If it helps they're tied for 11th in xFIP, so there's some legitimate hope for positive regression beyond "I guess the defense will keep us afloat?"

[squally1313]

2 minutes ago, Bertz said:

If it helps they're tied for 11th in xFIP, so there's some legitimate hope for positive regression beyond "I guess the defense will keep us afloat?"

Candidly, I spent like two minutes trying to think through why the White Sox had a worse K rate, walk rate, ERA, xERA, FIP, and xFIP in four less innings but they were ahead of us in fWAR, but then I decided to give up because it fit my general narrative. 17th in K rate, 5th in BB rate backs up the xFIP. We need to find a couple guys in the pen, and there's going to be painful moments going through the roulette to find a (hopefully) Riley Martin. And then we need a starter, but we're probably not going to find one for a couple months. So....go offense. 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Pirates and Reds lose, unfortunately the Brewers won by bunting again

[We Got The Whole 9]

PJ Higgins got the only hit for the Reds lol

[Bertz]

2 hours ago, squally1313 said:

Candidly, I spent like two minutes trying to think through why the White Sox had a worse K rate, walk rate, ERA, xERA, FIP, and xFIP in four less innings but they were ahead of us in fWAR, but then I decided to give up because it fit my general narrative. 17th in K rate, 5th in BB rate backs up the xFIP. We need to find a couple guys in the pen, and there's going to be painful moments going through the roulette to find a (hopefully) Riley Martin. And then we need a starter, but we're probably not going to find one for a couple months. So....go offense. 

Honestly the question for me is if the monster who eats UCLs and labrums has gotten his fill for the season yet or if he's going to want seconds.

I feel somewhere between good and great about each of Boyd/Shota/Cabrera.  There's a pretty decent chance one of Steele/Brown/Wiggins joins them before the end of the year.  The bullpen's not in great shape, but it's not terrible and this team's pens tend to improve as the season goes on.

So right now the medium term outlook for this staff looks pretty good IMO, but there are a couple of key arms that are very much load-bearing.  And we're at the point of the season where you're still on heightened alert for injury.

[BKHoo]

Good piece on Nico

 

https://x.com/mlbnetwork/status/2044858615563968673?s=46&t=G3VR2CObwVouq9zedZ_F8Q

[Rcal10]

55 minutes ago, BKHoo said:

Good piece on Nico

 

https://x.com/mlbnetwork/status/2044858615563968673?s=46&t=G3VR2CObwVouq9zedZ_F8Q

Great point. So why didn’t DeRosa want him on team USA? 

[Geographyhater8888]

17 hours ago, squally1313 said:

Candidly, I spent like two minutes trying to think through why the White Sox had a worse K rate, walk rate, ERA, xERA, FIP, and xFIP in four less innings but they were ahead of us in fWAR, 

I think the Sox 4% edge in inducing infield pop ups, which Fangraphs treats as strikeouts in their war calculation, without effecting FIP on the stat sheet and the pitcher friendly Wrigley park factor element relative to Sox park are the reasons for this.

Edited April 17 by Geographyhater8888

[Geographyhater8888]

11 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

Great point. So why didn’t DeRosa want him on team USA? 

He definitely would’ve been if you sacrificed his defense for 20+ homerun pop run pop.

Edited April 17 by Geographyhater8888