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The Bad
The Offense, Minus Bryant
Kyle Schwarber has struggled in the leadoff spot. He’s hitting .182 with an OBP of .305. I love Schwarber, but that’s not going to get it done. Joe Maddon is tinkering with the idea of moving Schwarber down in the lineup, which may be beneficial for the rest of the lineup, too.
Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Willson Contreras, Ben Zobrist, and Javier Baez are all hitting under .250. And while Jason Heyward was hitting some bullets before he got hurt, his average is also sitting at just .253. This team is too good for things to continue like this, but everyone struggling at the same time has contributed to the slow start.
First Innings
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It is unreal how many times the Cubs have found themselves losing in the first inning. Yes, the old adage, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish that counts” is great and all, but with an offense that has yet to put it together, having to climb uphill right away every game is not ideal. Yes, the Cubs did a decent job of coming back earlier this week in the series against the Cincinnati Reds. But the first inning bleeding rate needs to improve.
Dishonorable Mentions: Pedro Strop, Situational Hitting
