CubsPS+ - A North Side Numbers Game

Welcome to (appropriately) to Episode 44 - the Anthony Rizzo episode of this podcast. With the Cubs opening their last series before the break in the Bronx tonight, it seems the Cubs have just as many unanswered questions as they had heading into the season. In this episode, I talk about how the Cubs are competing, what matters in the last 20 games before the trade deadline and what options the Cubs have as the deadline looms. Where DOES “Next” start? So far, it hasn’t started here.

Coming off a bad loss where the Cubs played some inexplicably bad baseball, the Cubs are now no longer hot. They’ve lost 4 straight and still have a lot of questions heading into the last 10 games before the All Star break. This week, I talk about Thursday’s bad 3-1 loss to the Phillies, take a look at Jameson Taillon’s struggles and talk about whether it even makes sense for the Cubs to be sellers if things do really go south.

Happy Ryne Sandberg Day to all who celebrate! Cubs are across the pond, having won 10 of 12, to face the last place Cardinals. Cubs need some bangers so they can mash the Cardinals in this series. Oh, massive missed pun opportunities with Mash Mervis in Des Moines.
In this episode I talk about how the Cubs have flipped their season and take a deeper look at Christopher Morel, Cody Bellinger and some of the emerging stars in the Cubs’ bullpen.

This week I’m joined by the voice of the Iowa Cubs, Alex Cohen. Alex and I talk about what seems to be a growing divide between AAA and the majors and how those players who live on the edges or the middle of it approach the game. Through that discussion we hit on a variety of Cubs and I-Cubs. Alex’s passion for the game shines in this one so enjoy! 
You can find Alex on I-Cubs broadcasts (including AM 940 in Des Moines), on Twitter @voiceofcohen2 and on his website, https://voiceofcohen.com.

Fresh off getting swept by the Angels, the Cubs limp to beautiful Oracle Park to take on the Giants. Nobody seems to have any answers as to why this team is so much worse than it really should be right now - Is it the manager? The lineups? Or is a team full of proven vets just not getting it done? Let’s discuss.

Welcome in to Episode 39 – making this the Andrew Chafin episode, because – man, we sure could use him in the pen right now!
With the Cubs licking their wounds after a losing home stand – a losing home stand in spite of winning series against both the Mets and Rays – the topic this week is missed opportunities. We all knew the Cubs had a tough schedule in the first half and would have some rough stretches, but in order to survive those difficult road trips and top opponents, the Cubs needed to bank some wins against lesser teams….and they simply haven’t done that.
In this episode, I look back at the Cubs record in both close games and in games where FanGraphs had them as a favorite to highlight the opportunities missed and then discuss why they continue to lose in the margins and why the series finale against Tampa was a microcosm of their entire season so far.
Are you ready? I’m ready. Here. We. Go!

This week I cover a few topics impacting the Cubs right now. The episode opens with my thoughts on the return of Kyle Hendricks and then I get into the slowly (maybe too slowly) changing face of the Cubs bullpen. After that, the big topic - why do Cub fans hate Miles Mastrobuoni so much? I break down Mastrobuoni’s numbers and make a comp to a memorable Cub from 2015-2017 who had a similar start to his career.

Welcome in to Episode 37! The #37 makes this the Travis Wood episode!
The Cubs opened the weekend by designating Eric Hosmer for assignment, a move we’ve all been talking about for a few weeks. Nico Hoerner made his return in Philadelphia and the Cubs were a mixed bag over the weekend – winning a blowout Friday, getting blown out Saturday and wasting another fantastic outing from Justin Steele today and – in the process – continuing to struggle with men on base and getting big outs from the bullpen. On the plus side, Christopher Morel is all the vibes and can’t be human at this point.
I’ll get back into those issues next week, but today, I’m thrilled to be joined by Ben Lindbergh, longtime host of the Effectively Wild podcast from FanGraphs and co-author of two books, “The MVP Machine” and “The Only Rule is it has to Work”. Ben and I talk about player development and how things have changed since he and Travis Sawchik published The MVP Machine 4 years ago – changes in technology and process, what things were once advantages and are now table stakes and how players are empowered more than ever before thanks to all the data and measurables at their fingertips.
Ben is always a great listen, so sit back and enjoy his unique perspective.
Are you ready? I’m ready. Here. We. Go!
Where to find Ben:
Twitter: @BenLindbergh and @EWPod
Effectively Wild Podcast (co-hosted with Meg Rowley of Fangraphs)
Ben’s work at The Ringer
The MVP Machine: How Baseball’s New Nonconformists are Using Data to Build Better Players (co-authored with Travis Sawchik)
The Only Rule is it has to Work (co-authored with Sam Miller)

The Cubs are surprisingly among the league leaders in run differentials, yet sit on this off day with an 18-19 record. In this episode I dig into run differential and how it plays into playoff chances. Tied in with run differential is the baseball idea of “luck” (no, not black cats & dark magic), so I talk about baseball luck and how the Cubs can make their own. When a team plays a lot of close games, the winning and losing comes in the margins, so what do the Cubs need to do to flip the script in close games? Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

The Cubs aren’t playing as well as they were the last time I sat down to have a conversation with y’all, so let this week’s episode be a nice distraction from all the concerns about what’s going on with the team on this road trip (1-5 heading into today’s finale against the Nationals). This week I was thrilled to talk baseball with Cubs baseball scientist Dr. Mike Sonne, a PhD with a lot of biomechanics expertise who the Cubs hired last October. We talk about the role of baseball science within the Cubs’ system and how things have gone in his first 6 months.