"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."
-Michael Jordan
-Jack Peters
The month of April (and some of March) have tested this Cubs team like nothing else. They've played the majority of the season without their CY young candidate, Justin Steele, their NL MVP "in the conversation" gold glover, Cody Bellinger, and one of the best hitters statistically since the 2023 all-star break, Seiya Suzuki. Add in the fact that they still don't know who their closer is, they lost multiple bullpen pieces to IL stints, and have had 3 other starting pitchers spend time on the IL outside of Justin Steele. With all of this going on, this team SHOULD NOT be 19-13, but here we are. Guys have stepped up, stars have emerged, and Craig Counsell has proved why he's the best in the business. They've become MUST WATCH appointment television in the Peters' household much like Jersey Shore in 2009.
Injuries
Justin Steele
Opening day hamstring injury. Back on 5/6 barring setbacks.
Jameson Taillon
Started the season on the IL and made 3 starts in April. He owns a 1.5 ERA through 18 innings pitched
Seiya Suzuki
Found himself back on the IL with an oblique strain but should be back in a week or so
Cody Bellinger
Fractured his rib running into the brick wall in center. My dad thinks they should put ivy colored padding on the wall and if this ever happens I will chain myself to Fergie Jenkins bronze leg naked. Should be back soon
Julian Merryweather
Also fractured his rib but going to miss a lot more time. Might be back by the end of May
Jordan Wicks
Left forearm strain. Should be back in a few weeks based on my medical evaluation
Kyle Hendricks
Phantom IL stint for the old dog. He's currently rehabbing (figuring out how to play baseball again) and hopefully he'll be back soon (or not)
Early Season Stars
Shota Imanaga ⭐⭐⭐
No words for what this man has come in and done in Chicago. He has the 4th lowest ERA (0.78) through his 1st 6 career starts of ALL TIME. He's now 3 to 1 to win the NL rookie of the year and while his stature is small, his personality is huge.
Mike Tauchman ⭐⭐
The Fremd Freak (workshopping something new) might be proving that the summer of 2023 wasn't a fluke. He owns a .297 batting average with an on-base percentage over .425
Javier Assad ⭐
The Tijuana Taxman. Because the only certainties in life are death, taxes, and Javier Assad giving you 5 innings of 1 run ball. Would love for him to stretch out a bit but I won't complain with what he gives us.
Early Season LVPs
Kyle Hendricks 💩💩💩
Adbert Alzolay 💩💩
The people's fist is playing more like the people's ass (If you are reading this to my grandma please skip the swear word)
Dansby Swanson 💩
I debated Dansby being on this list but he ultimately landed here. He's made 4 awful throwing errors and is currently hitting .234 with an on-base percentage just above .300. He striking out at a 33% clip since 4/15. Just need more.
Prospects
It's been talked about at length but this farm system is as healthy as it was in 2015/16. They have 6 players in the top 66 - 3 outfielders, 2 middle infielders, and 1 right-handed pitcher. And while all eyes have been on PCA, those eyes are now shifting towards Cade Horton. Horton was recently promoted to AAA after punching out 18 and posting a 1.10 ERA over 16.1 innings in AA Tennessee. In March Jacksbackstop contributor Jack wrote "If he can prove it in the minors early on and get elevated to AAA quickly, I think he'll be up by the end of summer" talking about Cade Horton. Jack might be right on this prediction but I'll update this to mid-summer. And a rotation of Steele, Imanaga, Horton, Taillon, and Wicks/Assad would be INSANE.
What To Look For In May
There's a TON to look forward to this month and it starts this weekend as the Cubs welcome in the Brewers for the first divisional series of the year. The Brewers currently sit in first place 1 game above the Cubs and are still very salty about their hometown manager leaving for $40 mil and a chance to manage a historic franchise. The braves come into town May 21-23 followed by a series with the Cardinals and the Brewers to end the month. Just a ton of great home baseball to be played.
I also have health on the "What to Look For" this month. They should be getting back Bellinger, Steele, Wicks, and Seiya all within a few weeks. Get healthy, grab first place, and hold onto it until October.
Lastly, look for them to do something with the bullpen. That could be dipping into the farm system to find an arm or finding a trade partner before the typical deadline frenzy. There are a lot of really bad teams who are basically eliminated with some bullpen arms. Go out and get Mason Miller from the Athletics for James Triantos and Bleacher Jeff. You're going to want a Bleacher Jeff when you relocate the team, Oakland.
DraftKings Odds:
Pre-Season | Now | |
Win Total | 84.5 | Not Listed |
Win The Division | +185 | +120 |
To Make The Playoffs | -115 | -200 |
World Series Winner | 30-1 | 22-1 |
Imanaga NL Cy Young | +4000 | +1400 |
Imanaga ROTY | +1200 | +350 |
NL Manager of the Year | +550 | Not Listed |
PCA ROTY | +4000 | +3000 |
Regardless of injuries, this team still has real expectations. They've proven that they can win without their best so once they get them back, they need to do more than just win. I believe that at the end of May this Cubs team will be in the top 3 in the MLB Power Rankings. There will be debates about if this is the team to beat in the NL and Shota Imanaga won't be in ROTY conversations anymore as the media will shift their focus to the Cy Young. Am I setting myself up for complete disappointment? Absolutely. But I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it. Bring on May.
How Many Games Will The Cubs Win In May?
21-25
16-20
11-15
6-10