Welcome to our first full-week version of this feature.
The Cubs played six games over the past week and split them. In fact, they alternated wins and losses for the week, and in fact, have done so for the entire season to date. So they have had no winning or losing “streaks” longer than one game.
Hopefully, that changes on the “winning” side this week.
Here’s who’s hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.
Three up
Edward Cabrera is as advertised
This is both a really good thing and a possibly bad thing. Let me explain.
Cabrera’s “power
changeup” (or whatever you’d like to call it) explodes at around 94 miles per hour. It’s a nearly unhittable pitch. Then he can dial things up on his four-seamer to 98.
That has allowed him to throw 11 innings so far, giving up just two hits to 41 batters faced. That’s really good!
He’s also walked six. That’s … concerning. The walk rate was something he did in Miami and hopefully, the team is addressing it going forward. If he can cut down on the walks and stay healthy… the Cubs could have an ace here.
Here are Cabrera’s four strikeouts in Sunday’s first game [VIDEO].
Ian Happ is off to a weird, but sort of good, start
Happ leads the Cubs — and the National League, too! — with four home runs. Last year he didn’t hit his fourth home run until June 5, in the Cubs’ 62nd game.
There’s one other category Happ is leading the NL in after nine games — strikeouts, with 18. That isn’t good.
His current OPS of .809 is roughly in line with his career OPS (.790). But the slash line of .189/.268/.541 is a strange way of getting there.
Happ will be fine, I think, as the season goes on.
He’s still playing good defense. Here, he throws out a trailing runner at the plate after a run scored in Cleveland on Friday [VIDEO].
Nico Hoerner is his usual consistent self
Nico leads the NL in doubles with five, and has also stolen four bases without being caught. His seven walks lead the team, and like Happ, continues to shine defensively.
Three down
Jacob Webb… yikes
Webb was signed to a $2.5 million deal (with a $2.5 million team option for 2027) before this season. Given his pretty consistent play the last three seasons, that seemed pretty reasonable.
Not so far, anyway. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but Webb already has four walks among 19 batters faced, and Sunday he got hit hard, including a home run by Kayfus that tied the second game of the doubleheader.
He’s going to have to be better. For now, I would imagine he’s not in Craig Counsell’s Circle of Trust.
Back to the drawing board for Ben Brown
Brown had a really nice relief appearance against the Angels last Tuesday at Wrigley Field, helping keep a close game that way. Though the Cubs ultimately lost that game, it appeared that Brown might have turned a corner in that role.
Sunday, though, he couldn’t throw strikes in a rough sixth inning that included three RBI hits off him. While he eventually settled down for a 1-2-3 seventh on only nine pitches, damage had been done in that three-run sixth.
To be in the aforementioned Circle of Trust, Brown will have to be more consistent. He has the talent. It just hasn’t quite been harnessed yet.
What’s up with Moisés Ballesteros?
Ballesteros hit well after being called up last year, posting an .858 OPS and two home runs in 20 games and 66 PA.
He continued to hit in Spring Training this year — .357/.413/.619 (15-for-42) with five doubles and two home runs in 16 games (42 PA). Granted, spring results aren’t necessarily predictive, but Ballesteros has hit just about everywhere he’s been
Given the DH role vs. RHP this year, he’s done… not very well, going 3-for-20 (all singles) with eight strikeouts. It’s early, but… I’d certainly like to see him start hitting again.
