3 Cubs players on the September roster who don't deserve to play this postseason
By Josh Wilson
Miles Mastrobuoni is not cutting it
Miles Mastrobuoni has had a few stints on the big league roster this season, and logic would suggest he won't make the roster once it goes from 28 to 26 for the postseason. In 45 games this season, he's slashing .210/.295/.270 with an OPS+ of just 54.
In the field, he's not brought much flavor either with a zero or negative outs above average rating at every position he's played. Most egregious is his performance in right field, where he has a 71% success rate, compared to the 81% estimated success rate Statcast gives him.
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While Mastrobuoni's versatility has been helpful for manager David Ross to plug holes in the lineup for rest days or off days, he'll be rolling with the A-team all postseason long, should the Cubs make it. There won't be a need to have Mastrobuoni on the roster.
Mastrobuoni's most recent call-up to the show started on Aug. 19 when the team designated Tucker Barnhart for assignment. It was his fifth stint with the club this year.
The one thing he does bring to the table is base running. He's stolen 10 bases and the one area you could justify keeping him on the postseason roster for is pinch-running situations.
His 28.7 feet per second sprint speed ranks 83rd among qualified players, fastest of any Cub. That puts him in about the 85th percentile.
It will be hard to justify one of the 26-man spots for a player who struggles in most other areas, though. Ultimately, it may depend on Ross's confidence in other areas of the roster to determine how many peripheral slots they have to work with.