The 2016 Cubs: SPLOOGE SPLOOGE SPLOOGE

[Tonker]

With the Russell single, the Cubs have now scored eight runs and given up just seven outs.  They're going to destroy a career or two before they're finished.

[InternetApex]

That La Stella hate campaign is looking Rubio-like in its futility.

[Saul Goodman]

That La Stella hate campaign is looking Rubio-like in its futility.

Or maybe, it's working perfectly.

[Bort]

That La Stella hate campaign is looking Rubio-like in its futility.

Or maybe, it's working perfectly.

Who is La Stella?

[Canadouche]

That La Stella hate campaign is looking Rubio-like in its futility.

Or maybe, it's working perfectly.

Who is La Stella?

Main character in a Spanish production of Streetcar.

[Bort]

That La Stella hate campaign is looking Rubio-like in its futility.

Or maybe, it's working perfectly.

Who is La Stella?

Main character in a Spanish production of Streetcar.

Kurt.

[SKO]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-cubs-are-the-best-base-running-team-too/

"Whatever your stance, you're getting one more Cubs post for the time being, because for all the attention the lineup and rotation has received, there's another area in which they're deserving of attention, an area that often goes overlooked but that can very much matter. In addition to the lineup having a top-five adjusted batting line with the most runs scored, the rotation being the best in baseball by ERA and second-best by FIP, and the defense leading everyone in Defensive Runs Saved, the Cubs have also been the best base-running team in the sport. Not only is it a continuation of last year's success in that department, but it's something that was seemingly improved by one offseason acquisition, and perhaps more importantly, amplified by another."

[SKO]

DPD, but also from that article:

The Cubs wanted more contact. They went out and got Heyward, who makes an above-average amount of contact. They went out and got Ben Zobrist, who makes an exceptional amount of contact. Presumably, they worked with some of their existing players and focused on getting more contact out of them. Last year, no one struck out more than the Cubs. This year, only six teams have struck out less than the Cubs, who have cut down their team strikeout rate by nearly five percentage points. Bryant's strikeouts are down, Addison Russell's strikeouts are down, Jorge Soler's strikeouts are down, and adding Heyward and Zobrist can only help.

That's a huge improvement, I hope it holds up as they face better pitching. Russell especially seems to have made major improvements in that department.

[Eli]

DPD, but also from that article:

The Cubs wanted more contact. They went out and got Heyward, who makes an above-average amount of contact. They went out and got Ben Zobrist, who makes an exceptional amount of contact. Presumably, they worked with some of their existing players and focused on getting more contact out of them. Last year, no one struck out more than the Cubs. This year, only six teams have struck out less than the Cubs, who have cut down their team strikeout rate by nearly five percentage points. Bryant's strikeouts are down, Addison Russell's strikeouts are down, Jorge Soler's strikeouts are down, and adding Heyward and Zobrist can only help.

That's a huge improvement, I hope it holds up as they face better pitching. Russell especially seems to have made major improvements in that department.

That's huge. They don't need to lead the league in contact rate, but it really, really helps if they're not in the bottom 10.

[Slaky]

DPD, but also from that article:

The Cubs wanted more contact. They went out and got Heyward, who makes an above-average amount of contact. They went out and got Ben Zobrist, who makes an exceptional amount of contact. Presumably, they worked with some of their existing players and focused on getting more contact out of them. Last year, no one struck out more than the Cubs. This year, only six teams have struck out less than the Cubs, who have cut down their team strikeout rate by nearly five percentage points. Bryant's strikeouts are down, Addison Russell's strikeouts are down, Jorge Soler's strikeouts are down, and adding Heyward and Zobrist can only help.

That's a huge improvement, I hope it holds up as they face better pitching. Russell especially seems to have made major improvements in that department.

That's huge. They don't need to lead the league in contact rate, but it really, really helps if they're not in the bottom 10.

But what about what Joe Sheehan said. A bunch of teams who are not the 2016 Cubs had trouble repeating big seasons after large win improvement.

HOW CAN THAT BE

[SKO]

DPD, but also from that article:

The Cubs wanted more contact. They went out and got Heyward, who makes an above-average amount of contact. They went out and got Ben Zobrist, who makes an exceptional amount of contact. Presumably, they worked with some of their existing players and focused on getting more contact out of them. Last year, no one struck out more than the Cubs. This year, only six teams have struck out less than the Cubs, who have cut down their team strikeout rate by nearly five percentage points. Bryant's strikeouts are down, Addison Russell's strikeouts are down, Jorge Soler's strikeouts are down, and adding Heyward and Zobrist can only help.

That's a huge improvement, I hope it holds up as they face better pitching. Russell especially seems to have made major improvements in that department.

That's huge. They don't need to lead the league in contact rate, but it really, really helps if they're not in the bottom 10.

Yeah, Bryant is currently below 20% K rate, I'd be more than fine with him splitting the difference between that and last year and simply K 25% of the time. That extra 5% of contact could be huge for him. I kind of expected Russell to make a big improvement because he wasn't really a high K guy in the minors and just to my untrained eye it seemed like he was mostly just missing last year rather than swinging at junk. I figured his Ks would go down as he timed big league pitches better.

I mean it's the little things that add up. Last year with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs they hit .237/.334/.398 and scored a run in only 51% of their PAs in that situation. This year .432/.472/.649 and they've driven in a run 80% of the time.

I'm fine with trading strikeouts for power and walks most of the time, but if they can just be better with situational hitting when they have opportunities like that it'll come up big in tight games and the postseason, hopefully.

[SKO]

Montero to the DL, some asswipe who isn't Contreras up.

I mean I get not wanting to interrupt your top prospect's development so he can sit the bench for two weeks in the majors, but I also want shiny new toys.

[ChuckD]

Montero to the DL, some asswipe who isn't Contreras up.

I mean I get not wanting to interrupt your top prospect's development so he can sit the bench for two weeks in the majors, but I also want shiny new toys.

I guess it makes it easier to send [replacement catcher] back down once Montero returns instead of outrighting Ross if the [replacement catcher] is Tim Federowicz and not a Quality AB Machine.

[Saul Goodman]

Montero to the DL, some asswipe who isn't Contreras up.

I mean I get not wanting to interrupt your top prospect's development so he can sit the bench for two weeks in the majors, but I also want shiny new toys.

Will this faceless non-prospect replacement catcher also test positive for PEDs after the season? I'm voting: yes.

[Eli]

Probably doesn't deserve his own thread yet, but Matt Szczur deserves some love for turning himself from basically a non-prospect into a useful 4th-5th outfielder. Sounds like he's worked hard to revamp his swing and add power, plus develop a bit of plate discipline. Who knows how long it'll last, but good for him.