CubsPS+ - A North Side Numbers Game

This week, I was joined by David da Silva, Mental Skills Coordinator for the Cubs. David talked me through the Cubs mental skills program and we talked about how he tries to give players the tools they need to handle so many situations that come up – the pressure of a big spot, the long mental grind of a season, and how to deal mentally with injuries.
You can find David on Twitter @DaviddaSilva99, Instagram @ddasilva99 and on LinkedIn.

Welcome in to Episode 24! I’m jealous of all of you who were able to make it to the Cubs Convention last week, it looked like a really good time and I hope I can join y’all next year. Today, I’m going to talk about a few of my convention takeaways and then change it up a little by bringing in Lance Rafdal, a lifelong Braves fan, to talk about Dansby Swanson. If you enjoy my guest episodes, there will be several more in the coming weeks while we work through the rest of the offseason.

Welcome in to Episode 23 - the Ryne Sandberg episode here to liven up a dead week in January! The offseason really does seem like it’s starting to wind down - which is fine with me, I’m ready for spring training. In this episode, I’ll talk about the most recent addition — 1B Eric Hosmer — and dive a little deeper into defensive metrics now that it’s abundantly clear that the Cubs are lining up the pitching and defense game for 2023.

Welcome in to Episode 22! It’s been a crazy couple weeks since I last recorded – I’ve traveled across the country and halfway back, celebrated Chanukah and Christmas and watched the Cubs FINALLY land a big fish all while Carlos Correa agreed to terms with at least two teams and saw those deals fall apart. Jed’s plan is becoming more and more clear (whether it’s a good enough plan remains to be seen) and I talk about recent moves play into that plan.
The bulk of this episode, though, will focus on on what I think were the Top 5 most impactful moves the Cubs made in 2022. As we look back one more time before stepping into 2023, what do you think were the biggest moves of the last year?

Well, we’re STILL waiting. This week, I talk about the stall, why star power matters and what paths are still available for the Cubs. We could be traveling right along Jed Hoyer’s preferred path or we might be watching live as Jed struggles to adjust to a rapidly changing free agent market. What kind of hopes remain for Cub fans as we head into the holidays? Let’s dive in.

It’s been quite a week for Cubs fans – the Cubs got out of the gates quick in the Winter Meetings with a couple early signings, but the week was mostly rumors, reports about reports and waiting. The waiting is definitely the hardest part. This week I talk about the waiting, why we’re all waiting and how I read the tea leaves on what has been a tense off season.

I hope all of you who celebrate had a wonderful Thanksgiving and as we now turn the calendar to December, roster-building season begins! The Winter Meetings happen next week amid a lot of tension on Cubs social media. Will the Cubs spend big? Will they get a top shortstop? This week I get into all of that, touch on the Rule 5 draft coming up next week and more.

As we head into our annual day of Thanks, I sat down this week with Mark Weisman, the strength & conditioning coach for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Mark spoke at length about how he went from a college football running back at Iowa to a baseball strength coach in Myrtle Beach and he went in depth about the Cubs organizational commitment to player development. He talked me through what and how the Cubs measure performance and how that data is used to build strength while also balancing work load to reduce injury risk.
In the back half of the episode, Mark got into how they train for the uniqueness of baseball and how rule changes are opportunities for a competitive advantage - provided you can train better for those new rules. He also talked about some of the players who made the biggest strides in 2022 with the Pelicans.
I learned a lot in this episode and I hope you will as well.

This week I had the pleasure of talking Cubs prospects with Greg Huss from Northside Bound and the Cubs on Deck podcast. Greg and I talked about this week’s Rule 5 roster decisions, highlighted a few key guys in his newly released Top 40 Prospects list and talked about what fans can do to get a read on prospects when watching minor league games or looking at stats. In the end, I put Greg on the spot for some “best of” categories in the Cubs system. I had a lot of fun hanging out with Greg and I hope you enjoy the interview.
Greg Huss on Twitter @OutOfTheVines
Northside Bound
Cubs On Deck is available wherever you find your podcasts. Greg & Bryan Smith (@CubsProspects on Twitter) put out a new episode every other week during the offseason and plan to go weekly during the season.

The offseason is finally here and the action will begin for real in a few hours! Who is on your winter wish list for the Cubs? Today, join me as I review key offseason dates and walk through some WAR math to figure out how the Cubs can go from 74 wins to playoff contention. We’ll talk about free agents, growth from the current roster and some potential trade possibilities.