Chicago Cubs: April Summary

After winning their first World Series title since 1908, the Chicago Cubs have higher expectations than ever before. There has always been pressure on the Cubs to end the drought, but now they are facing a whole new kind of pressure - the pressure of expected success. So, are they reaching expectations? Well, yes and no.

Through one month, the Cubs are leading the NL Central, but not comfortably. The Cubs are sitting at 13-11, while the last place teams, Pirates and Reds, are just 2 games behind. This may not be a bad start, but I'm sure most Cubs fans are expecting more. Simply looking at their record is one thing, but we need to go deeper than that.

Just like usual, the Cubs' offense is booming. Only 4 teams scored more than the Cubs in April. Considering the incredible power that can be found throughout their lineup, you would expect the long ball to be the source of their high scores. However, the Cubs are 1 below the league average of 29. Now, hitting Home Runs is good and all, but relying on them too much could be dangerous. The Cubs rely on something much more consistent, plate discipline. This plate discipline is perhaps the best quality of the Cubs lineup The Cubs rank 6th in Walks with 96, largely contributing to their team OBP of .339 which ranks 4th in the MLB.

Unlike the offense, the starting pitching is not on par with last season. The Cubs starters have a combined ERA of 4.28 and an Opponents Batting Average of .259, which rank 23rd and 25th respectively among starting pitching units. This is not what we've come to expect from a corps that consists of 3 Cy Young finalists in the last 2 seasons.

On the bright side, relief pitching has been a different story. Last year, our relievers were the primary weak spot, and at first it looked to be the same this year. However, after a short, rocky start, the bullpen has been lights out. The bullpen has a combined ERA of 2.87, 5th in the league, and an Opponents Batting Average of .189, 2nd in the league. Leading this charge has been Wade Davis and Carl Edwards Jr. who are still rocking a 0.00 ERA.

Due to the shaky starting pitching, the Cubs have already been forced to win several games through late game heroics, which has inspired the nickname "Cardiac Cubs." Although you don't want to be forced into these situations often, it's important for the players to know that they can come through when needed. It should only be a matter of time before the starting pitchers start heating up. When that time comes, if the rest of the team continues to play as great as they have, the Cubs will be nearly unstoppable. Until then, we may just have to watch the "Cardiac Cubs" with a doctor standing by.