MLB is in full swing, for now, and the Chicago Cubs are off to a smoking hot start. With more players and staff across the league testing positive for Covid-19, it is starting to put a question mark on the season. Luckily, the Cubs have managed to stay healthy early in the season and have played excellent baseball to this point.
Cubs Recap Thus Far
The Cubs came out of the gate strong, taking two of three games from their division rival, Milwaukee Brewers inside the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. Opening day saw a strong showing from Kyle Hendricks, as Hendricks pitched a complete-game shutout.
Their next series in Cincinnati would once again see the Cubs taking two of the three games against a division rival. The three-game set was supposed to be a four-game series, but game-four ended up being postponed due to rain.
Rounding out the first eight games is two games back in Chicago against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Two games in and the Cubs have won both games, giving them another series victory. Thus far the Cubs have scored at least four runs in four of their six victories.
The team has been firing on almost all cylinders. Kris Bryant has had a rough start to the season. Bryant is batting .119 in 25 at-bats, and has stuck out 10 times to this point. Bryant has not been the only dark spot for the Cubs. The bullpen has struggled out of the gate, with most of the bullpen having an ERA above 5.00.
The Cubs have also had some strong individual performances. Kyle Hendricks’s complete-game shutout to start the season set the pace for the season. David Bote has come out of the gates strong with .438 on-base percentage. Anthony Rizzo has had the strongest start posting a .486 OBP and a .217 batting average while driving in five runs.
What to Expect Moving Forward
As the shortened 2020 season moves along, players will still opt-out. To this point, the Cubs do not have anyone that has opted-out, but the Brewers do. Lorenzo Cain opted-out on Saturday, weakening the Brewers squad.
Although the season is still young, the Cubs only have three opponents above .500 early in the season. The Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, and Cleveland Indians. With the Cubs off to such a hot start, fans are expecting to see the Cubs be one of the 16 teams to make the playoff field – if there even is one.
Next, the Cubs have many players poised to have good seasons. With Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Hendricks already showing what they can do. Eyes can start to move to slugger Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber has massive power potential and is poised to start pumping the ball when the winter rust starts to wear off.
Another Cubs player that tends to heat up with time is pitcher Yu Darvish. The former Texas Rangers’ ace is not off to the hot start fans wished for, but should turn himself around anytime much like last season. It should be noted, however, that Darvish was phenomenal in the second start this season.
This hot start has Cubs fans getting excited and it should. The Cubbies are on pace to win the NL Central by a landslide. If they keep going like they have been, they should have no problem making the postseason. Expect big things from the boys’ everyone has counted out.
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