It goes without saying that the 2017 season has begun quite differently from 2016 for the Chicago Cubs. Last year, the Cubs sprinted out of the gate to a 24-6 record after a seven-game win streak in early May, and showed all the indications of a juggernaut that would eventually win 103 games and of course capture that coveted World Series title. This year, the North Siders have struggled to find consistency, grinding their way to a 16-14 record after the first 30 games of the regular season. This may seem like a cause for concern for the defending champs, who were once again seen as World Series favorites at the beginning of the year. However, there are just as many reasons to be encouraged about the progress of some individual players despite the more stagnant dynamic of the team. So with a shaky start from the rotation and persistent bullpen troubles, what are some of the reasons for optimism?
It may go relatively unnoticed given the team’s lackluster start and Bryant coming off of an MVP season, but the young third baseman may be off to his best start ever. Bryant endured struggles after being called up in early 2015, and had a very slow April and early May before tearing up the summer months in 2016. This time around, Bryant has gotten it going from the jump. Although he’s driven in just 16 runs in the two hole in the lineup, Bryant is hitting .311 with a .411 on-base percentage. The strikeouts (he has 30) are a bit of a cause for concern, but Bryant has shown strides in spraying the ball to all fields, including an opposite field home run off of Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda on Friday afternoon. While fellow boppers Kyle Schwarber and Anthony Rizzo have really struggled, Bryant has retained his 2016 MVP form. If Bryant can continue to hold it down, the rest of the lineup should fall in line.
C.J. Edwards and Wade Davis
The Cubs bullpen has been the most confusing unit of 2017. Consider for example Friday afternoon’s game against the Yankees, when Hector Rondon appeared to have the game closed before Brett Gardner (in part thanks to some questionable umpiring during Chase Headley‘s at-bat) gave The Pinstripes the lead with a three-run bomb.
Despite the general struggles, however, there have been two standouts anchoring the pen. Carl Edwards Jr. hadn’t allowed a single run in twelve innings before conceding a homer to the Phillies’ Cameron Rupp on Thursday. One of the more promising arms in the pen last year, Edwards’ concern this spring was his own inconsistency and especially his occasional lack of command with the fastball. That has not been the case this year, as Edwards has dominated the middle innings and done his part. It would not be surprising to see Joe Maddon start to use Edwards as his own Andrew Miller prototype, whereby he depends on Edwards for anywhere between 3-6 outs in big games.
The other noteworthy member has been the flamethrower at the back end… and I’m not talking about Aroldis Chapman. After a horrendous spring, Wade Davis has been superb for the Cubs, racking up seven saves and not allowing a single run in 13.1 innings. His velocity seems to indicate that the durability concerns following him in the winter and during the spring are a nonissue, and his ability to get outs with runners on base has been remarkable. Having a stud in the middle innings and at the very back end is a luxury that will pay dividends for the Cubs moving forward, and could help the other bullpen guys continue to settle into their roles.
One-run games
Even with bullpen issues, struggling hitters, and bad starts from John Lackey and Brett Anderson at the back of the rotation, the Cubs are finding ways to win games. They are 6-6 in the crucial one-run game department, which is a respectable mark considering the manyfold problems the team continues to endure. That is a statistic that should continue to be a positive sign of encouragement for fans, one that can help ease the doubts they may have been experiencing thus far.
So while this start may be more frustrating than the 2016 season, there is room for optimism. Don’t forget, even at 16-14 they still lead the NL Central. The ingredients are there for the Cubs to dominate like they did early on last year, they just need to find ways to put everything together.