Andrew Wright

Completely agree. Gotta be able to win one of those series after taking the opener!

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Being over a month into the season without losing a series opener at home is quite the accomplishment. There are so many things that go into winning a baseball game, and to do that in the opening game of a series in front of your home crowd 100% of the time is utterly impressive. That is exactly what the Chicago Cubs have done, and it is a big reason why they have the biggest division lead in baseball, at 3 games. Obviously, that isn't going to last all season. The Cubs are eventually going to drop a series opener at home. As of now, though, it hasn't happened, and there are several different reasons why. There's been a little bit of luck involved in it, but there's also been a bit of skill. Let's dive into what's been going right for Chicago in these particular games. To start things off, the Cubs' run total in their six series-opening home games are as follows: 3, 7, 13, 11, 4 and 9. That comes out to an average of 7.8 runs per game, well over their already league-leading season average of 5.9. Outperforming themselves in a category that they already lead the league in is 100% a recipe for success. When analyzing it from that perspective, it's easy to see why Chicago has a 6-0 record in those series openers at home. One of the impressive elements of doing this is surviving the rigors of the baseball life, on its strange and demanding weekly cycle. The Cubs have won at home to open series on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Take a look at this awesome post on X, from @DailyRandomCub With a record like Chicago has on days that almost all series begin, it's no surprise that they've had so much success in series openers. The pitchers on the mound for the series-opening wins at home have also been indicative of how the season has gone for the Cubs. The six winning pitchers for the games have been Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Ryan Pressly, Porter Hodge, Colin Rea and Matthew Boyd. That is, arguably, the four best pitchers in the starting rotation (even though two are injured) and two of the best arms in the Cubs bullpen. Not only has the lineup produced, but the starting rotation has lined up in a way that Chicago can send out some of its best arms to get that first win of the series. The Cubs will have a chance to improve their home series-opening record to 7-0 four days from now, on May 12, when they welcome the Miami Marlins for a three-game series. If they want to be serious contenders in the NL, they have to beat up on bad teams like Miami. Look for Chicago to come back home from a quick three-game road trip against the New York Mets and hang a nice, crooked number on the Marlins—and remain undefeated at home in series openers. View full article

Image courtesy of AP Photo/Erin Hooley It was no surprise to hear that Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ was looking to extend his on-base streak in PNC Park headed into Tuesday's opening game of a three-game series between the Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. It was, however, a bit shocking to hear that the streak had increased all the way up to 31 games. That is an absurd number for any stretch of the regular season, much less at one ballpark. Happ's streak has now increased to 34 consecutive games and 44 consecutive starts after an excellent series against the Pirates. He went 6-for-13 with two walks and two RBIs in the series and played a big part in Chicago adding insurance runs in the ninth innings of Thursday's 8-3 win. Per the Marquee broadcast, the last time Happ started a game and didn't reach base at PNC Park was Aug. 19, 2018. The streak of 34 straight games at one ballpark is currently an MLB best. Overall, against the Pirates in his career, Happ's numbers are gaudy. He's batting .322 with 18 home runs, 72 RBIs and 69 runs scored in 111 career games played. It's safe to say the 30-year-old from the Pittsburgh area enjoys returning home to play in front of all his family and friends. It's not just the Pirates that Happ enjoys playing against though. The switch-hitting left fielder loves hitting against the entire NL Central division. It's almost like Happ sits down before the season and circles every single game against a divisional opponent and prepares twice as hard for them. He's played 442 career games against divisional opponents and has posted a slash line of .278/.381/.547, good for a .928 OPS against division rivals. Those numbers were showcased Tuesday-Thursday against Pittsburgh and Cub fans hope they'll be shown again over the weekend. Chicago is slated for a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field (aka Miller Park, aka Wrigley North) over the weekend. The Cubs currently sit three games ahead of the third-place Brewers and will lean on not only Happ, but the rest of the scorching hot offense to extend the division lead. [Editor's Note: So far, so good on that front. The Cubs are up 9-0 on the Brewers in the first game of the series, and Happ has reached base in three of his four plate appearances thus far at the time this piece is being scheduled for publication]. While nothing is ever guaranteed, it feels so likely that Happ will produce at a high level over the weekend and help lead Chicago to yet another series victory. He may slow down, but as of now, it's hard not to consider Happ as the Cubs' best player whenever they draw a division rival. View full article

The North Siders' co-ace will miss the rest of the season after undergoing elbow surgery. Ideally, the team will reinforce their rotation with a replacement for him. Who could that be? Image courtesy of © Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Justin Steele was placed on the 15-day IL just two days after his start with left elbow tendinitis. Steele said that he hoped it would be a short stay on the shelf, and he planned on being back as soon as possible. That, unfortunately, was not to be. After gathering multiple opinions, Steele was recommended for the scalpel. It is a huge blow to a Cubs rotation that has been surprisingly good in the early going, but will now have to rely on Shota Imanaga and the rest of the staff to carry them through the season. It's a bit optimistic to think that a rotation of Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Ben Brown, Colin Rea, Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad and Cade Horton can carry the Cubs to a division title and postseason appearance. Because of that, here are five players who could be headed to Chicago as a result of Steele's injury. Sandy Alcántara (Miami Marlins) Alcántara is the most obvious of the players on this list, as he is on a bad Marlins team that will certainly look to capitalize off his value if he is putting together another season like the ones he's had in the past. Alcántara has been mentioned in trade rumors in the past, but this feels like the year he could finally be moved. He is owed just $34.6 million over the next two seasons, making his contract an extremely favorable one for a pitcher of his caliber. Alcántara could instantly come in and give the Cubs a top-tier duo in the rotation, along with Imanaga. Pablo López (Minnesota Twins) López was linked to the Cubs in the offseason, and with Minnesota off to one of its worst starts in franchise history, the time may finally be right for the Twins to move him. In 16 2/3 innings so far in 2025, López has pitched to a 1.62 ERA with 14 strikeouts. He's coming off seasons with 234 and 198 strikeouts. The swing-and-miss stuff would be much needed in replacement of Steele, and he could be a very big addition for Chicago. Marcus Stroman (New York Yankees) Yes, Stroman has been awful to start the 2025 season. He is also on the injured list with knee issues, but it is obvious that he does not want to be in New York any longer. Stroman feeds off the big crowds and the energy, and he would most likely be welcome back to Chicago and Wrigley Field with open arms. He had two successful years with the Cubs in 2022 and 2023, and a return to the Cubs could get his career back on track. He could be instrumental down the stretch in a playoff push. Martín Pérez (Pittsburgh Pirates) Pérez is the first left-hander to make the list, and he would be an intriguing fit. While he is not a frontline starter like Alcántara and López, he is a veteran arm who's been around the game a long time and is still capable of putting together solid outings. Even on days when he is not at his best, Pérez is still able to go deeper into a game than expected and can save a Cubs bullpen that has been shaky to start the season. Pérez would likely slot into the No. 4 or No. 5 spot in the Cubs rotation and could be one of the biggest under-the-radar moves of the entire season. Chris Sale (Atlanta Braves) A guy can dream, right? While there is only about a 1% chance that the Braves continue their horrendous play, it's still a higher chance than zero. With his rough start to the season (0-2, 6.63 ERA). Sale could be on the move if Atlanta continues to struggle going into the summer months. Sale won the NL Cy Young in 2024, and that pitcher is still in there somewhere. An acquisition of Sale would shake up the baseball world and give Chicago two pitchers who finished Top-5 in Cy Young voting in 2024. View full article

I was going to do Tuffy, but when diving into it, I realized they lost the game so I didn’t feel like it deserved to be there

The year 2020 was an absolute whirlwind in every aspect of life. The COVID-19 pandemic took away not only sports moments such as the NCAA Tournament and Opening Day of the MLB season, but lives were changed for the worse. The world became an uncertain and scary place for a while. They say nothing brings people together quite like sports do, and that is exactly what happened in the summer of the life-changing year that was 2020. Image courtesy of Justin Casterline/Getty Images The MLB season did not begin until July 24th, 2020, due to the ongoing pandemic. The return of sports to televisions around the world brought folks back together and took our minds off all the negatives around us, even if it was just for a couple of hours. The games did look weird though, as there were no fans in attendance. That, however, gave fans the chance to sit in the comfort of their own home and enjoy the natural sounds of the game. What veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks did that day gave us the best Opening Day in Chicago Cubs history. The Cubs welcomed in the division rival Milwaukee Brewers to Wrigley Field to begin the season. Hendricks was given the nod for Opening Day by first-year manager David Ross. Ross was extremely familiar with Hendricks, as the two were World Series champions together in 2016. Brandon Woodruff was tabbed as the Opening Day starter for Milwaukee by current Cubs manager Craig Counsell. After two-and-a-half scoreless innings, Ian Happ launched a 422-foot blast to center field to give the Cubs an early 2-0 lead. The home run for Happ was the second of his career on Opening Day, with the first coming in Miami in 2018, when he led off not only the Cubs vs. Marlins game, but the entire MLB season with a home run. Happ's blast would give Hendricks more than enough run support and the professor went to work. Hendricks threw a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits, walking none and striking out nine batters. All three hits allowed were singles and Milwaukee never took an at-bat with a runner in scoring position. Outside of his 2016 NLCS Game 6 start and his 81-pitch complete game shutout against the Cardinals, it was the most dominant start of Hendricks' career, and it got Chicago off to an excellent start to begin the season. Chicago would win the game 3-0 and off to the races they went, winning the division before losing a gut-wrenching playoff series to the Miami Marlins. That playoff series, along with that whole pandemic-fueled haze in real life, was extremely forgettable, but one thing many Cubs fans won't forget was the way they all came together that July day to watch one of the best pitchers in franchise history go to work on the mound and carve up a lineup like only he could. So, there you have it. The best Opening Day performances in Cubs history. Did we miss any notable ones? Let us know your thoughts down below! View full article

Number 1 may very well surprise you

The 2003 Chicago Cubs season is one that many fans have completely thrown away out of their minds and vowed never to speak of again. How the season ended for the Cubs was heartbreaking and devastating, to say the least. As bad and agonizing as the last game of the season was, the first game was a thrill and gave fans the hope that they held onto until the final out of Game 7 of the NLCS. The first game of the 2003 season saw the Cubs travel to Shea Stadium in New York for a matchup against the Mets. The pitching matchup was all-world: Kerry Wood vs. Tom Glavine. Two aces going at it in front of over 53,000 in attendance for Opening Day is what baseball is all about. Glavine was undoubtedly the story for the Mets that day, as he was blasted for five runs on eight hits and four walks and did not make it out of the fourth inning. The story for the Cubs, however, was not their starting pitcher. Their starting centerfielder, Corey Patterson, had quite the day. Patterson was making his second career Opening Day start, and it was a tough matchup against the left-hander Glavine. Patterson must've eaten his Wheaties that morning because he had one of the all-time best Opening Day performances for any team or player. He went 4-for-6 at the plate with two home runs, and seven runs driven in. All four of Patterson's hits came against a left-handed pitcher. He had two RBI singles against Glavine, and both homers came against Mets reliever Mike Bacsik. It was the second multi-home run game of Patterson's young career, and he would finish his career with six games with multiple homers, including another one against the Mets in 2005. The seven RBI were the most in any game of his career and it is still currently tied for an MLB record for the most in an Opening Day game. Patterson's career with the Cubs did not go quite the way many would've hoped, but we will always be able to look back on and remember the performance he had that day at Shea Stadium. View full article

The Cubs headed into the 2018 season with the sting of a 4-1 series loss to the Dodgers in the 2017 National League Championship Series fresh on their minds. In need of a true leadoff hitter for the season, manager Joe Maddon put Ian Happ in that role in spring training and Happ excelled, hitting seven home runs and taking the job and running away with it. Ian Happ stepped into the box against the Miami Marlins on Opening Day for not only both teams, but the entire MLB as a whole. At the time, Cubs-Marlins was the only game underway, and all baseball eyes were on it. What happened on the first pitch of the game sent excitement throughout the Marlins stadium (which was taken over by Cubs fans) and got the Cubs out to an early lead. A leadoff home run on the first pitch of the season was exactly what Chicago needed to wash off the bad mojo from the 2017 season and it got the team off and running. The most incredible part of it all may have been Cubs commentator Jim Deshaies calling Happ's homer, as you can hear in the video. Happ wasn't the only Cub to homer in the game, as Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber both added an Opening Day home run of their own. Rizzo's was especially special, as it came just months after the shooting at his high school alma matter, Stoneman Douglas High School. Rizzo dedicated the home run to the victims of the unfortunate tragedy. The Cubs jumped out to an early 4-1 lead after two innings but allowed Miami to tie it at 4-4 after the third inning. An RBI double from Willson Contreras gave the Cubs a 5-4 lead, Schwarber's homer made it 6-4, and a pinch-hit double from Tommy La Stella drove in two runs and gave Chicago an 8-4 cushion, with that ultimately being the final score. Happ in the leadoff position did not work out much after Opening Day, as his season average finished at .233, but he did give Cubs fans an Opening Day memory worth cherishing. Perhaps he can do the same in Tokyo this season? View full article

Opening Day games always have the potential to be a pitcher's duel between some of the game's best pitchers. Just listen to some of the matchups this season. Shota Imanaga vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Logan Webb vs. Hunter Greene, Paul Skenes vs. Sandy Alcantara and more. The potential for 1-0 or 2-1 games is very much there. That was the case on Opening Day in 1971 when Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Fergie Jenkins toed the rubber against each other. Cubs' right fielder Johnny Callison opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning with a double, driving in Hall of Fame third baseman Ron Santo. Eventual Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre would knot the game up at one in the seventh inning with a solo home run off Jenkins. Both teams would remain scoreless until the bottom of the 10th inning. That's when "slamming Billy Williams" stepped into the box and sent Cubs fans home happy on Opening Day. Williams hammered a home run into the right field bleachers for a walk-off winner on Opening Day for Chicago. It was a home run that got Williams closer to his 2,000th hit, 300th homer and 1,000th RBI, all of which he accomplished in that 1971 season. He and Joey Votto are the only two players in MLB history to accomplish those feats in the same season. While a 2-1 game doesn't seem like it is all that out of the ordinary, the wild part is that both starting pitchers went the entirety of the game. Jenkins went 10 innings, allowing just one run on three hits and striking out seven. Gibson went 9 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, walking four and striking out five. Jenkins is one of just three pitchers in Cubs history to have those stats on the mound in a game when pitching at least 10 innings. Another little nugget, the time of the game was just one hour and 58 minutes. The 71' season would unfortunately end in a missed postseason for the Cubs, but the thrill of a pitcher's duel and walk-off home run on Opening Day made for a special start to the season. View full article

Drink it in, folks. Spring training baseball doesn't get any better than this. Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images The early spring struggles of Kyle Tucker were starting to become a bit of a worry for some Cubs fans. Our very own Matt Trueblood dove deep into those struggles and found out that Tucker is usually quite good in Spring Training in his career and that has not yet been the case this year. Tucker, however, being the superstar he is, broke out of his slump in a mighty way on Sunday afternoon. Headed into Sunday, Kyle Tucker was 0-for-19 so far in the spring, He had made quite a few loud outs and sent balls to the warning track but hadn't quite gotten one to fall yet. That changed Sunday, in the Cubs game against the San Francisco Giants. Tucker got a 2-1 fastball, and he didn't miss it. Tucker launched both his first hit and home run in a Cubs uniform, much to the delight of Cubs fans. It was a much-needed swing for not only the fans, but also for the guy who was 0-for-20 in his first (pre)season with a new team. It surely lifted a huge weight off the shoulders of the superstar right fielder, even if he'll never say so, and it will now allow him to play freely for the rest of the spring, knowing he got that first hit out of the way. The homer would be Tucker's last at-bat of the game, as he was replaced by Kevin Alcántara. While we certainly can't be sure that Tucker is fully out of his mini-slump, the hope is that he will now really turn it on and perform like the MVP-caliber player he is. With the Tokyo Series just nine days away, Tucker and the rest of the team will certainly look to get and stay hot heading into the season opener. View full article

We are just 10 short days away from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs kicking off their two-game, season-opening series in Tokyo. When that does happen, though, it looks like the Cubs' ace will be ready. Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Shota Imanaga will be looking to one-up himself this year, after a phenomenal rookie season. The left-hander went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA across 173 innings last year. He finished fifth in Cy Young voting and fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, and will now try and build on that—or at least maintain it. That won't be easy, as the league now has a full season's worth of film on him, and he will have to adjust to hitters adjusting to him. His 4.05 ERA in Spring Training may look bad on the surface and inspire some concern, but when diving deep into it, we see that it isn't anything to be concerned about. Imanaga gave up three runs on three hits over 2 2/3 innings in his first start of the spring against the Giants. Two of those three runs came on a two-run home run from Casey Schmitt. There were two extremely positive things to take away from that first outing. First was the fact that six of the eight outs recorded by Imanaga were strikeouts. Even though he gave up the long ball, the strikeout stuff was still there. Secondly, he was extremely efficient, throwing 26 of his 33 pitches for strikes. Being in the zone that much means you are pitching to contact; hence the three hits given up. His second start of the spring was much better, as he went four shutout innings and allowed just two hits while striking out three batters. Admittedly, it was a Padres lineup that did not feature any of Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Luis Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill or Jake Cronenworth, so he was facing most of the San Diego reserves. Nonetheless, it was a major-league lineup with MLB-caliber players that he made quick and easy work of. Imanaga will likely make one more start during the spring, before getting the ball on Opening Day for Chicago. That last spring start will see him stretched out (maybe to five innings) in preparation for the season. If the Cubs can get the same type of season from him in 2025 as they did in 2024, Chicago may very well have its next ace, and their 1-2 punch (with Justin Steele) could be one of the best starting pitching duos in all of baseball. View full article

The entire offseason for the Chicago Cubs felt like it revolved around whether Nico Hoerner or Matt Shaw would be the starting second baseman on Opening Day. The trade rumors were swirling surrounding Hoerner, and we were all but certain that he would be moved. Now, it appears the status quo has won out. Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images Note that we're operating under the assumption in this piece that Matt Shaw will not be making the trip to Japan. If he's healthy, he'll certainly be the starter at second base. With news that Nico Hoerner will not be making the trip overseas and will stay back in the states and continue to work his way back from injury and prepare for Chicago's first road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, that begs the question of: who in the world is going to play second on Opening Day? Well, quite frankly, nobody really knows, and we won't know until the end of Spring Training. Chicago has quite a few options in what it could possibly do, and the rest of the spring will reveal that. Here are all of manager Craig Counsell's assumed options: Gage Workman, Jon Berti, James Triantos, Nicky Lopez (NRI) Those four are more than likely going to be competing for the second and third base positions come Opening Day. They also are probably all competing for the opening at third base as well, and the top-two performers will see the majority of the playing time over the two games in Japan. As to what can be expected from each, let's dig into it. Berti is the veteran of the group, as 2025 will mark his eighth season in the MLB. He is a career .259 hitter, and he is hoping to spend more time on the field this season than he did in 2024, when he appeared in just 25 games for the New York Yankees. Berti has played every position on the diamond except for pitcher and catcher, and his versatility was a big part of the reason he earned a one-year, $3 million contract from Chicago in the offseason. He would bring the most experience to a position that will see a lot of action in Tokyo when ground-ball pitchers Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele toe the rubber. Workman was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Cubs and must remain on the 26-man roster or else he will be returned to his previous team (assuming the Detroit Tigers want him back). He started Spring Training with a bang, going 3-for-5 with a home run in his first two games. He has kept that pace up, with a 1.059 OPS through 23 at-bats as of March 4. Of all the options available, he is currently the most likely to play third base instead of second, as third is his natural position, but the possibility of Justin Turner playing third base could mean Workman starts the year on the bench. Triantos' spring is off to a middling start. He is 3-for-15 at the plate with three RBIs and his OPS sits at just .502, quite a bit below his career average of .766 in the minor leagues. He is the No. 73 ranked prospect in MLB.com's rankings, and his MLB debut feels imminent. He will need to increase his production the rest of the way in the spring and if he does, we could very well see him take his first big league at-bats against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the middle of March. Lopez is a local kid that is a fun story for Cubs fans and he's easy to root for. He is an NRI (non-roster invite) and is certainly making the most of it, as he is 9-for-18 in Spring Training with an OPS of 1.202. It would certainly be hard for Lopez to replicate those numbers for the rest of the spring, but if he does, the choice for second base will not be a hard one to make at all. The one downside to losing Hoerner for a couple games is losing his Gold Glove caliber defense. None of the four guys are that quality of a defender at any position, and that may be costly in a couple of close games. Chicago should be able to manage the two-game series in Tokyo and then be at full strength with Hoerner and Shaw when the team travels to Arizona to fully kick off its 2025 season. View full article

Chicago Cubs fans have been awaiting a superstar-caliber player to insert into the lineup and potentially help put them over the top. The offseason gave them just that as they acquired right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. Tucker will now be the everyday right fielder and headline one of the most stacked positions in the game. Image courtesy of © Erik Williams-Imagn Images Kyle Tucker is, in no uncertain terms, the superstar that the Cubs have needed. In just 78 games in 2024, Tucker hit 23 home runs and drove in 49 runs. He finished with a .993 OPS, which would have been first among right fielders if Tucker had enough at-bats to qualify. He will now head into 2025 fully healthy and hoping to replicate what he did in 2024 over a full season. Seiya Suzuki has served as Chicago's primary right fielder over the past three seasons. Bad defense and an injury in 2024 saw Suzuki serve as the DH when he returned to the lineup, as Cody Bellinger slid over to play right field for the remainder of the season following the emergence of Pete Crow-Armstrong (a vastly superior defender to Suzuki) in center. The Cubs were eighth among MLB teams in 2024 in Wins Above Average (0.7) from the right fielders, while the Astros ranked second. That included statistics from Suzuki, Bellinger, Mike Tauchman, Kevin Alcantara, Alexander Canario, Patrick Wisdom and Miles Mastrobuoni. Of course, only Suzuki and Alcántara remain from that group in 2025, though Tucker should help stabilize the turnover at the position. Defensively, Tucker ranked sixth among right fielders in defensive runs saved (DRS) with seven in just 592 innings played. Meanwhile, Suzuki was No. 20 on the list with just three total runs saved. As such, Tucker will be both an offensive and defensive upgrade in right field for the Cubs in 2025. Suzuki will still get his fair share of games in right field when Tucker needs a day off his feet. Along with Suzuki, there is the potential for Alcántara to spend time in right field if he is able to crack the Opening Day roster — and even if he doesn't, he'll serve as the next-man up while gathering more seasoning at Triple-A. As long as both are fully healthy, the split in games between Suzuki and Tucker in right field should be somewhere in the 120/40 range, with Tucker getting the majority of the playing time. If all goes well and Tucker is able to replicate what he did in his limited playing time in 2024, he'll be on the brink of a very large payday in the offseason. At that point, the Cubs would need to do whatever it took to bring him back to Chicago for the 2026 season and beyond. View full article