Ryan Dempster isn't a bad pitcher. Sure, he isn't nearly worth his contract extension that Jim Hendry typically gives players past their prime, which comes out to $12.5 million this year, $13.5 million next year, and a $14 million player option that he is sure to pick up (at age 35), but he really isn't all that bad. Dempster has pitched with mixed success in his two starts this season. Over those two games, he's pitched a 3.55 xFIP (which measures how well the pitcher performs without fielders, good or bad). The stat shows that his fielders are failing ...
Carlos Silva may look about as epically potbellied as a birthing whale on the mound, but in his two starts, he's actually looked good.
In 13 innings of work, Silva has posted a career-high strikeout rate (5.54 K/9). Again, it is only 13 innings of work, so this is an incredibly small sample size, and his strikeout rate will probably return to his career norm of 3.80 K/9. His stuff, however, may very well become sustainable, thanks to his improved changeup. His straight change is posting a 4.7 run value, compared to last season's -4.7 wCH. His peripherals are ...
Starlin Castro , arguably the Cubs' top prospect, is flashing the potential to hit at the big-league level early in the season. The Tennessee Smokie shortstop is currently hitting .342, with a .500 slugging percentage helped by his two triples in eight games. Castro, however, boasts only a .350 on-base percentage due to only one walk on the season, so far. The lack of patience is troublesome for the 20-year-old, who projects as a lead-off hitter. There is little question about his ability to hit for contact, but when the young shortstop goes through stretches of poor ...
Well, the inevitable happened Thursday, and the Cubs took home their first 'W ' for the 2010 season. Cubs pitcher Randy Wells (1-0) pitched remarkably well, although I still believe he could go back to catching full time, and perform to the Cubs' standard . There are several very nice things to be taken from this game. We'll begin with Randy Wells' performance. Wells sat at around 90 mph with his fastball, with his sinker sitting on average at 89. He threw his sinker 35 times, and hit the zone about ...
Well, the inevitable happened Thursday, and the Cubs took home their first 'W ' for the 2010 season. Cubs pitcher Randy Wells (1-0) pitched remarkably well, although I still be he could go back to catching full time, and perform to the Cubs' standard . There are several very nice things to be taken from this game.
We'll begin with Randy Wells' performance. Wells sat at around 90 mph with his fastball, with his sinker sitting on average at 89. He threw his sinker 35 times and hit the zone about 75 percent.
Pitch diversification was a key for Wells, as ...
Too bad there's no such thing as mulligans in baseball. Carlos Zambrano's first two innings were just about as bad as they come, as the Atlanta Braves pounded on the Cubs in the season opener.
You really have to squint to see anything good in this one, but there are some promising remarks to be made. First, the bad.
Zambrano (0-1) left the game after 1.1 innings pitched, in which he pitched a monstrous 49 pitches, only 28 being strikes. Along with his eight earned runs, two walks, two home runs, and 6.00 WHIP, ...
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