Stratos

How is what I said "wrong"? I said his K-rate is below average at every level since AAA and he's part of the unknowns in our rotation. His K/9 has been below average at AAA, MLB, and so far in ST, which is what i meant by K-rate which everyone should assume since virtually nobody uses K% around here for pitchers. You like Wicks so you dug into his numbers and cherrypicked some stats that agree more with your like of Wicks. Yes obviously 80-something IP above AA isn't large but it isn't tiny either, and the K/9 has been consistently unimpressive and below average at all levels above AA so far, where he was a very advanced SP compared to the hitters he was facing in the A and AA levels. All the projection systems on FanGraphs project him with a K/9 around 7.60, and around league average BB/9, HR/9, and GB%, and an average-ish ERA for a SP around 4.40. Every SP has potential to pitch above expectations, but my point is that there's a lot of real suspect unknowns in our rotation. Any of Hendricks/Taillon/Wicks and even Imanaga could fairly easy end up being league average or worse this year if things don't go their way. But in good faith let's use your stats too and assume the most likely scenario which is that his stuff is average to below average. Since his BB/9 throughout his career has been average, and his career HR/9 and HR/FB has been around average, and has been slightly above average with GB%, then if you're going to make a bet at least for this season then he's most likely going to be around an average SP. A well above average change-up, below average FB, basically average everything else besides mound presence & polish for his age, that's a pretty logical conclusion to point to him most likely being an average SP unless something changes. I'll take it, he's probably a MORP of the Taillon variety or slightly worse in terms of overall results, but let's hope for better.

I think they go as far as their pitching. There's lots of unknowns with Taillon, Imanaga, Hendricks, and Wicks or whoever is #5. The K rate for Wicks has been below average every stint above AA so far. Imanaga is hopefully league average or better, but Taillon and Hendricks have stink potential. Neris could easily regress back to his mean and be pretty league average too.

Interesting idea.... It would be cool if they'd publish the weight and length and dimensions of player's bats. Here's another idea: If Madrigal and Nico have such low K% and high contact rates, why don't they try to swing a heavier bat until such point that their K% gets to closer to league average. Gotta think the average would drop but the power and EV would go up. They could also keep their current bats but stop swinging at any pitches on the edge of the strike zone until 2-strikes to deepen counts and draw more walks.

Good article. I believe there's a 13 max pitchers rule in the MLB now, meaning 13 position players, which is 5 bench players. Amaya and Tauchman are guaranteed a spot on the bench, so that would leave 3 more spots up for grabs and not 2. There's a lot of solid bench options, I really don't know how they'll go. I think they definitely will want another utility INF, so between Madrigal, Mastrobuoni, and Bote. Mastrobuoni's MLB and ST results so far don't live up to what the tools and AAA stats suggest are possible. Disappointed in his fielding, and he comes off as a INF version of Tauchman offensively (with more speed) but that hitting just hasn't been there yet and he hasn't offered any power and not a ton beyond Madrigal, he slaps singles to opposite field more than Tauchman it seems. If healthy I think Madrigal gets the edge because of the glove at 3B to compliment Morel. I think they definitely also want 1 guy who can play 1B and can hit LHP, so a battle between Wisdom and Cooper. Cooper is the more versatile hitter but Wisdom is the more versatile fielder, and they may need him at 3B at some point this season if Morel fails badly defensively or is hurt, though Wisdom has minor league options. Toss up for me there. I think there's a decent chance they take a second 1B for the bench. When looking at DH vs LHP the options would be Morel with Madrigal at 3B, Gomes, or Wisdom/Cooper if Busch stays in at 1B. Vs RHP the option would be Tauchman and that's about it, so they may decide they want a power option to pair with Tauchman, which means Dom Smith or Mervis. I think Smith gets the edge. I think the Cubs are curious about Smith after the recent hamate bone surgery, as am I. But if Counsell wants to use the DH slot to give regulars a rest then the last bench spot could be an OF like Canario or Peralta, guess we'll see.

No no Rcal, you're a meatball. Because when someone disagrees with your opinion, they obviously must be an idiot and they deserve to be insulted. I think that comment shows us who the meatball is. I get your point but I don't personally want to get into the young vs old thing, that's not going to go well, and it sounds like i'm probably at least 20 years or so younger than you anyways. I don't like stereotyping groups of people, I know lots of people under 30 who don't think like you're saying, even if there's a smaller % of them.

Thanks!

Yes he broke the law 19 years ago. He still broke the law, he just can't go to jail for it now. So what's his excuse then for not fessing up now? He continues to repeat the lies he's been telling us the last 25-30 years and you want him on the field at Wrigley? Sammy thinks we're all as dumb as he is to still believe his BS. I don't want him within a quarter mile of any of our players. Canario would arrive at camp next spring with a John Cena physique, acne all over his face, the same bats that weighed 3 ounces lighter, and a mysteriously pale complexion. As for the Ricketts vs Sammy debate, I think they can both go to h*ll. How this sport even continues to get fans or why I still watch it is beyond me. The sport's been so corrupted by money for so long it's wild. How long until we hear some story about how some umps have been bribed over the decades too? The MLB is an a-hole factory where your dreams as a child go to die after you hit puberty and become wise enough to realize that a lot of the people you grew up idolizing are just a bunch of selfish narcissistic pricks that the owners use to rape your wallet by e.g. tearing down Wrigley and rebuilding a cheap replica on the same land as a casino but forget to use house-money to actually field a good team. And we're masochists too busy arguing about owners vs players when they should be told to go straight to h*ll. You think its been fun since 1994 to be a fan? I think it's been an embarrassing never-ending heartbreak dumpster fire.

Why not?

Well McGwire also didn't deny steroid use under oath. Sammy probably can't admit it even if he wanted to unless he wants to risk serious legal issues. I understand it, but he shouldn't have lied under oath in the first place. He was my fav player for a decade even years before 1998, I was a huge fan, but the guy is a schmuck. I'd probably boo the guy if he came on the field, he deserves it, as a huge fan of his he hurt me pretty bad. He also owes me $150 for a Sosa jersey I can never wear in public again without looking like an arse haha jk.

Stayed in when he got beaned too though. Saw the play, hope he's ok. Was a rundown and the fielder landed on top of him so it might have been from that.

Well most pitchers hover back and forth around the 13% mean for HR/FB so i'm expecting that unless he gets lucky or unlucky, and like most pitchers i assume the GB% will largely determine how many dingers he gives up. Encouraged by his start so far though besides the HR, he could be a good one if he's able to settle that down a bit, but hard to see him as a GB pitcher

Stay classy.

Wonder what pitches led to the HR in Japan? They said they're trying to teach Imanaga to sometimes get the fb high in the zone which he didn't do much of in Japan because the zone is different here. Could work but can't imagine that's going to help the GB% and HR/9.

It was a lot of fun, until we realized we were watching the WWE. The league was probably juicing the balls too.

He committed perjury and bought and used illegal drugs to cheat, not to mention corking his bat and who knows what else. I'm sorry I sat on your sofa.

Sammy screwed himself because he denied using steroids in his testimony to Congress. I assume he was sworn in? Therefore he can't admit steroid use or he could be in legal trouble for perjury. He was good to the org and the fans in many ways but is also a cheat and a liar and broke the law in multiple ways. I'm ok with washing our hands with him. I was the biggest Sosa fan too.

Sounds right.

Wonder why no appearance by Horton? He's on the Cubs Prospect game roster. Saw him pitching a live sim AB to Happ the other day. Maybe he had a small issue and was delayed this ST

Doubtful any teams will change their evaluation of a 30 y/o player with lots of MLB and AAA PA's based on a couple dozen PAs in early ST.

If he turns out to be a healthier version of Kiermaier I'd be very satisfied.

Javy "I used the game to warm up" Baez tipped some pitches of Quintana and possibly others in 2018. https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2024/03/11/yeesh-another-way-the-cubs-were-tipping-pitches-against-the-brewers-in-2018/

I think the hit tool is average to below average at best, the power is about average, and the swing decisions are average at best and probably below average based on his general aggressiveness as a player. As a pure hitter in the box he probably ends up average at best with a very real chance to be below average. His best offensive ability is his speed, but his baserunning skills aren't exactly refined, he's just very aggressive. I think his AVG, OBP, and SLG in the minors have been inflated by his excellent speed. Bunt hits, beating out grounders, taking an extra base on a hit etc. It still counts, but I think it hides some of his lack of skill in his actual hitting abilities at the plate if we just look at the stats. Left-handed Corey Patterson isn't a bad comp, but PCA hopefully walks more. Like Patterson, the most value probably comes from the glove and wheels.

Yesterday Wesneski was throwing a 12-6 version of his breaking ball against lefties and getting swings and misses. Maybe he's found an answer.

Yeah he needs to get the control back on track and they need some SP stretched out in Iowa anyways, and the MLB pen is pretty full as it is. Don't think anyone really expected Brown to make the OD roster. Thought Vazquez had a shot with Madrigal banged up and he's on the 40. Maybe Morel and Madrigal were the last middle INF on the roster and they plan to carry Mastrobuoni to replace Madrigal if he's still hurt.

PCA has often looked totally overmatched again this spring, there was no chance of him making the roster. He needs lots of PA's against more advanced pitching. I wouldn't be surprised if he spends the whole year minus Sept in Iowa.