Subscribe
Follow Us
The Chicago Cubs have started the 2023 MLB Season off on the right foot, racing to a 9-6 record and a current 2nd place standing in the NL Central. They are coming off of a 10-1 drubbing of the Oakland Athletics on Monday to open a 3-game set, a game where Patrick Wisdom continued his torrid start with 2 more home runs. Last year, the Cubs went 74-88, capping another disappointing season ever since their World Series victory in 2016. This offseason, the Cubs brought in some new names and retooled their starting lineup, and it looks to be working for the time being.
The Cubs are currently top ten in runs, hits, home runs, stolen bases, average, on base percentage, and OPS as a team. Besides the excellent start as a unit, they also have some scorching individual bats. The aforementioned Wisdom leads the league in home runs with 8, while the top of the lineup is littered with high averages. Offseason additions Dansby Swanson and Cody Bellinger are batting .368 and .310 respectively, while recent contract extension recipients Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner are living up to the Cubs renewed investment in them. Happ is batting .321 with 2 home runs, while Hoerner is batting .338 with an incredible 9 stolen bases. The Cubs also just got back Seiya Suzuki from injury rehab, who already has a home run and multiple RBIs through four games. All of these guys are exceeding expectations so far, and this is just on the hitting side of the ball for the Cubs.
The top two guys in the Cubs starting rotation have been dealing through 3 starts each. Marcus Stroman is 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA, with a WHIP of 1.00. Meanwhile, No. 2 guy Justin Steele has been equally as impressive, with a record of 2-0, an ERA of 1.42, and a gaudy WHIP of 0.84. As a team, they have a 3.41 ERA, good for top ten in the MLB, and have given up just 12 home runs, good for the fifth least across both the National and American Leagues. Overall, the Cubs are humming on both sides of the diamond, and they couldn't have asked for a better start. Nonetheless, precedent says this pace won't last forever, and there will be some lull periods over a 162 game season. With that being said, here are three overreactions to the Chicago Cubs quality start to the 2023 MLB Season.
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
*Stats via ESPN
Patrick Wisdom will break Barry Bonds' home run record
Patrick Wisdom is on pace to hit 87 home runs for the Chicago Cubs. This would shatter Barry Bonds record for 73 that he set in the 2001 season for the San Francisco Giants. Albeit the elite power Wisdom is putting on display, 87 home runs is a bit of a stretch. He is definitely a power hitter and the Cubs will look to him for the long ball this season, but he will not break Barry Bonds all time home run record.
Although Wisdom leads the league in home runs, 5 of his 8 home runs have come in the last four games. He hit a home run in every game of a weekend series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, and the first game in Oakland saw him hit two more. At this rate, he would finish the season with well over 100 home runs. That is so unlikely it is laughable, and this current stretch is bound to slow down at some point.
Still, the Cubs will gladly take the surge in home runs from Wisdom. He was one of their better bats last season, and they have to be thrilled he has started the season where he left off last year. If he can continue to produce at a high level and keep depositing balls in the seats, the Cubs will gladly take however many home runs he can hit.
Article Continues Below
Nico Hoerner will break Rickey Henderson's modern stolen base record
Just like Patrick Wisdom, Nico Hoerner is also atop a statistical category for all of Major League Baseball. Through 15 games, Hoerner has 9 stolen bases, one more than anyone else in professional baseball. The new rule changes can be attributed primarily for his quick start on the bases, although Hoerner is one of the fastest players in the MLB. However, like Wisdom, Hoerner is not going to be breaking records anytime soon. The modern era record for stolen bases is 130 set by Rickey Henderson in 1982. Hoerner is certainly going to swipe bags all season long, but he won't surpass the 130 mark.
Hoerner has been an absolute menace at the top of the lineup for opposing teams. Hoerner is hitting .338 and has an OBP of .394, so not only is he stealing a lot of bags, but he is giving himself ample opportunity to do so. This is terrifying for opposing teams, as Hoerner is consistently creating run scoring opportunities for the Cubs. This is a welcomed sight for Cubs faithful, as the Cubs just gave Hoerner a 3-year contract extension worth $35 million. Even though he most likely won't break Henderson's stolen base record, he certainly will be a terror on the base paths all summer long.
Marcus Stroman wins NL CY Young
Marcus Stroman has gotten off to the best start of his career through three starts. His 1.00 ERA is good for fifth best in the MLB, and it took him until his third start to give up his first earned run of the season. At this pace, he is definitely going to put himself in contention for the NL CY Young. However, through only three starts, it is much too early to name him a candidate, and with a career ERA of 3.58, some regression would not be unexpected.
Nevertheless, Stroman is another player the Cubs can only be excited about through the first 15 games. He is living up to his title as the ace of the rotation, and is setting an example for the other four starters. Stroman will be on the mound Tuesday in Oakland for his fourth start of the season, and he will look to keep the hot streak going. Against an Athletics team that is 3-14, expect to see Stroman continue to deal.
