Cubs status 9/22/2017

It’s weekly Cubs status time again.    Here are status lines from today and the last time we did this.

BAT PITCH Rs Ra W L UR LR TeamID
37.3 42.7 715 639 78 66 -6.5 2.5 CHN 9/13/2017
57.6 46.8 770 668 85 67 -4.6 2.3 CHN 9/22/2017

BAT way up, PITCH up a little, and the Cubs went 7-1 gaining a whopping 6 games in one week. Unearned Runs above average (UR) has improved to -4.6 from the low of -9.3 after that horrible Lester outing right before All Star break.   They are now +18  real WAA (W-L) for the season and in first place ahead of the Brewers and Cardinals.

Here are your top Cub players.  Congratulations on a fine second half of the season compared to the half time edition of this report so many games ago.

Rank WAA Name_TeamID Pos
+026+ 5.08 Anthony_Rizzo_CHN 1B-2B
+070+ 3.61 Jake_Arrieta_CHN PITCH
+076+ 3.46 Kyle_Hendricks_CHN PITCH
+089+ 3.11 Wade_Davis_CHN PITCH
+093+ 3.07 Javier_Baez_CHN 2B-SS
+116+ 2.62 Willson_Contreras_CHN CR
+118+ 2.60 Kris_Bryant_CHN 3B
+124+ 2.58 Mike_Montgomery_CHN PITCH
+131+ 2.50 Ian_Happ_CHN CF-2B-LF-RF
+135+ 2.44 Brian_Duensing_CHN PITCH
+177+ 1.89 Pedro_Strop_CHN PITCH
+195+ 1.72 Carl_Edwards_CHN PITCH
XXXXX 0.97 Albert_Almora_CHN CF
XXXXX 0.86 Kyle_Schwarber_CHN LF
XXXXX 0.69 Jose_Quintana_CHN PITCH

12 guys in top 200, 5 in top 100 and this team can truly compete in the playoffs.  It wasn’t easy last year and it will probably be less easy this year.  Let’s see what the Cubs looked like this day of the year they brought home the trophy with all the flags on it.

Blast from the Past 2016

Here is team status on this day last year.

BAT PITCH Rs Ra W L UR LR TeamID
68.2 160.7 755 516 97 55 6.5 3.7 CHN 9/22/2016

BAT a little better than today and PITCH  was far better.  Right now in the year 2017  Cleveland has the best pitching in MLB according to run scored against and UR and they’re at 152.  Here are the top Cubs on this day last year.

Rank WAA Name_TeamID Pos
+002+ 8.67 Kyle_Hendricks_CHN PITCH
+003+ 7.94 Jon_Lester_CHN PITCH
+009+ 6.93 Kris_Bryant_CHN 3B
+021+ 5.29 Anthony_Rizzo_CHN 1B
+023+ 5.29 Jake_Arrieta_CHN PITCH
+072+ 3.35 Aroldis_Chapman_TOT PITCH
+084+ 3.21 John_Lackey_CHN PITCH
+091+ 3.13 Addison_Russell_CHN 2B
+146+ 2.23 Jason_Hammel_CHN PITCH
+151+ 2.18 Ben_Zobrist_CHN 2B
+164+ 2.04 Trevor_Cahill_CHN PITCH
+190+ 1.72 Hector_Rondon_CHN PITCH
XXXXX 1.36 Travis_Wood_CHN PITCH
XXXXX 1.30 Jorge_Soler_CHN OF
XXXXX 1.28 Pedro_Strop_CHN PITCH
XXXXX 0.97 David_Ross_CHN C

That’s the team that won a World Series.     Since this is the last Blast from the Past this year let’s look at the closest Cubs team in value ,that participated in a World Series,  to the current Cubs.

Blast from the Past 1938

Cubs team status on this day 1938.

BAT PITCH Rs Ra W L UR LR TeamID
-58.6 119.8 638 553 80 61 28.8 -4.9 CHN  9/22/1938

Terrible hitting which might have lost the World Series for them.  Their pitching was outstanding and so is UR.  They had great fielding.  There were way more errors committed back then because baseball fields weren’t as groomed as they are today.   That UR value led to real wins which allowed them to win the NL pennant.

Here are the top Cubs on this day 1938.

Rank WAA Name_TeamID Pos
+004+ 9.83 Bill_Lee_CHN PITCH
+019+ 6.55 Clay_Bryant_CHN PITCH
+043+ 4.30 Charlie_Root_CHN PITCH
+050+ 3.61 Dizzy_Dean_CHN PITCH
+074+ 2.46 Larry_French_CHN PITCH
+099+ 1.22 Vance_Page_CHN PITCH
+109+ 0.99 Tony_Lazzeri_CHN SS
+110+ 0.94 Jack_Russell_CHN PITCH
+115+ 0.90 Augie_Galan_CHN LF-OF
+117+ 0.86 Gabby_Hartnett_CHN CR

There were a little more than half as many teams back then so top 100 then is like top 200 today.  Gabby Hartnett was managing the team at the end of the season which is probably caused his hitting to suffer.

That is all for today.  Historical playoff analysis coming.  The playoff season is different than the regular season.  Part 3 of lineup/pitcher combo tables, and we’ll see what more.   Until then….