Cubs fans shouldn’t rush to panic after slow start
Off to a slow start, the Chicago Cubs are wasting no time in allowing panic to settle in — but don’t be fooled.
Things have changed for the Chicago Cubs, and sometimes not for the better. Several years ago, a 2-3 start–against the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds, or otherwise–wouldn’t have been grounds to panic. But it seems that this edition of the Cubs, people are questioning–well, everything. But even for the Cubs, it’s way too soon to worry. The Cubs managed to put together a strong second half last season. So there’s no reason to panic after just four games.
However, the Cubs starters do leave a little bit to be desired. With the Cubs approach this spring, the Cubs threw fewer innings than usual. While that may have lead to impressive numbers against Double-A competition, it’s not been the case in the first series of the year.
Kyle Hendricks and Tyler Chatwood were the only pitchers to have a quality starts. Jose Quintana went six innings, but he allowed six runs on six hits against the Marlins. Jon Lester went just 3 1/3 innings allowing three runs, while Yu Darvish allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings. So what gives? Did the Cubs spend or give up too much on pitching?
The short answer is no. First, it’s entirely too early to decide on Darvish or Quintana. With Lester, it might make sense to pass judgment on him. But he did struggle last season and started in the same fashion this year. But the Cubs haven’t even gotten through the rotation a full time yet. So let’s pump the brakes a bit.
And how about the offense? The Cubs have several players that last season was a mess. But in 2018, they’re impressing, so far. Kris Bryant leads the way with a .389 average. The next four are Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber and Jason Heyward. Four guys that struggled last season are carrying the load this year. So what seems to be the issue?
The Cubs can’t drive in runners. Period. The Cubs have started some rallies in their four games. But in the end, they’re batting .137 (7-for-51) with runners in scoring position. It’s the same issue that plagued them last year, and it’s reared its ugly head, again. But, again. It’s just five games. Should we be that concerned about it?
The answer is yes–and no. Keeping an eye on the starting staff will become an issue, but the bullpen has been incredible. In 26 innings, the Cubs have posted a 0.69 ERA with 23 strikeouts. The problem will be getting from the starters to the pen. The Cubs can’t have the issues that they’ve had from the rotation. They need to get off to an even start to give their bullpen a chance to win the game.
Tempering “panic mode,” at least for now, is the wise move. There are some issues with the starters, and the Cubs need to move runners along when in scoring position. But let’s give it some time before we expect the worst.