Cubs

101 articles in this category

1. Draft Preview: Five Outfielders I'm Watching

   We’ve covered all the positions in this series, so we’re going to circle back and look at three under-the-radar outfielders as well as two outfielders that are very much on the radar.

   By Jeremy Nygaard, 10 hours ago   

   • 2023 mlb draft
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   • Added by Jeremy Nygaard
   • 10 hours ago

2. Where Do the Cubs Project in the NL Central Over the Next Five Years?

   After losing a third straight game Wednesday night in Anaheim, the Cubs are now 26-35. They lag the division-leading Brewers by 7.5 games and have a 7.9-percent chance of reaching the postseason, according to FanGraphs. Worse news, though, might be coming from Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

   © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

   By Matt Trueblood, 14 hours ago
   • 9 comments
   • 389 views
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   • Added by Matt Trueblood
   • 14 hours ago

3. Learning from Failure with Jameson Taillon

   On Wednesday night, the Cubs turn to Jameson Taillon and ask him to help save their sinking season. Last time out, the right-hander won his first game as a Cub, thanks to (for now) giving up on some changes he and the team tried to make after he signed this winter. What can we learn from that?

   © Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports

   By Matt Trueblood, Wednesday at 11:23 AM   

   • jameson taillon
   • 1 comment
   • 418 views
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   • Added by Matt Trueblood
   • Wednesday at 11:23 AM

4. Five Pitchers the Cubs Could Target with the Number 13 Overall Pick

   In the coming weeks, we’ll spend some time going in-depth on players whom the Cubs could target with their first pick in next month's MLB Draft, at No. 13. This week, we’re looking at pitchers. For these pieces, we’ll use the positions of players on the Consensus Board as a proxy for who they might take, as opposed to trying to predict what each team will actually do. The goal is to give a flavor of the kind of talent and options that might be around when that pick hits, as we all know trying to predict the draft is perilous at best.

   Brock Beauchamp

   By JD Cameron, Tuesday at 04:10 PM   

   • mlb draft
   • 0 comments
   • 285 views
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   • Updated by Matt Trueblood
   • Tuesday at 03:33 PM

5. The Cubs Have to Fight Over the Strike Zone Because They Can't Dominate It Themselves

   Monday night found Cubs pitchers struggling to miss bats and paying both an actual and a psychological price for it. Meanwhile, their hitters struck out 12 times and were similarly compromised. Unfortunately, that's nothing new, for a team that still lags the league in generating whiffs on the mound and in controlling the zone at the plate.

   © Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

   By Matt Trueblood, Tuesday at 11:55 AM   

   • kyle hendricks
   • 3 comments
   • 562 views
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   • Added by Matt Trueblood
   • Tuesday at 11:55 AM

6. Can Dansby Swanson Stay This Good All Season?

   Whatever else has gone on in this mixed bag of a season, the Cubs have to be thrilled with what they've gotten from Dansby Swanson. The biggest thing they did this winter appears to be the thing they did best, and it's paying off in a huge way. With Swanson, however, it's worth asking: Can it last?

   © Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports

   By Matt Trueblood, Monday at 11:21 AM   

   • dansby swanson
   • 1 comment
   • 423 views
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   • Added by Matt Trueblood
   • Monday at 11:21 AM

7. Miguel Amaya and the Near Future of the Cubs Roster

   The Cubs offense failed to score Saturday night, as Yu Darvish and the Padres steamrolled through a lineup that reflected David Ross's sense of helplessness in that matchup with his hitters going the way they are. Is yet another miniature shakeup in the cards?

   © David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

   By Matt Trueblood, Sunday at 12:35 PM   

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     • tucker barnhart
     • miles mastrobuoni
   • 2 comments
   • 799 views
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   • Added by Matt Trueblood
   • Sunday at 12:35 PM

8. Accepting Some Failure Has to Be Part of the Plan for Matt Mervis

   On Friday night, the Padres had right-handed starter Michael Wacha on the mound. Nonetheless, Matt Mervis was not in the lineup, and Trey Mancini struck out in all four plate appearances. This needs to be nipped in the bud.

   © David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

   By Matt Trueblood, Saturday at 02:23 PM   

   • matt mervis
   • trey mancini
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     • matt mervis
     • trey mancini
     • david ross
   • 4 comments
   • 721 views
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   • Updated by Matt Trueblood
   • Saturday at 07:49 AM

9. How Adbert Alzolay Has Morphed Into a Relief Ace and Hype Machine

   "We need to work on his high fives, because they're starting to hurt," said Cubs catcher Yan Gomes. If that's the biggest problem the Cubs have with regard to Adbert Alzolay, they've come a long way. The Cubs just might have a reinvented star reliever.

   © Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

   By Matt Trueblood, Saturday at 12:28 PM   

   • adbert alzolay
   • 0 comments
   • 477 views
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   • Added by Matt Trueblood
   • Saturday at 12:28 PM

10. The 2023 Cubs Can't Win Without an Elite Defense, and They Don't Have One

    In an absolute sense, the most disappointing performances of the young season for the Cubs belong to veteran signees in each segment of the roster: Jameson Taillon, Eric Hosmer, Trey Mancini, Michael Fulmer. In an absolute sense, it's the bullpen where they've struggled most. Taking into account preseason expectations and the offseason strategy the front office pursued, though, the biggest red flag is that this pitching-and-defense club hasn't played good defense.

    © Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

    By Matt Trueblood, June 2   

    • dansby swanson
    • nico hoerner
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      • nico hoerner
      • patrick wisdom
      • christopher morel
      • matt mervis
    • 3 comments
    • 775 views
    • 
    • Added by Matt Trueblood
    • June 2

11. Personal Cheeseballs: First Basemen

    After taking a week off of the Personal Cheeseball series to post our first mock draft of the season, we’re back to look at some first basemen. 

    Drafting a first baseman - especially early - can be one of the most polarizing decisions in all of sports.
     

    Attachments:

    By Jeremy Nygaard, June 1   

    • 2023 mlb draft
    • north side baseball mlb draft
    • 1 comment
    • 402 views
    • 
    • Updated by Jeremy Nygaard
    • June 1

12. How the Cubs' Playoff Hopes Tumbled in May, and What They Mean

    In a bold, innovative stroke, the 2023 Cubs got their June swoon out of the way in May. Thanks to the performance of the rest of the division, they aren't yet out of the race, but the Playoff Odds at various sites remind us how urgently they need a turnaround.

    © David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

    By Matt Trueblood, June 1   

    • cody bellinger
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      • drew smyly
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    • 3 comments
    • 417 views
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    • Added by Matt Trueblood
    • June 1