Cubs Report Card Part I: Who passed? Who failed? |
With the 2018 season over, I think it’s safe to say that most of us at CubsHQ had some differences of opinion, with regard to how the various Cubs’ players performed this year.
We decided to submit “grades” for the players, none of us could resist. While a lot of the other sites graded their respective teams on an overall basis (offense, pitching, defense, etcetera), we took it a step further, by grading the players on an individual basis. Today will pitchers' grades and tomorrow we'll evaluate the batters. Take a look at what we thought, then share your opinions with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages. We hope you enjoy this group effort, and on behalf of all of us at CubsHQ, thanks as always for your continued support. Tyler Chatwood: 4-6 record with 5.30 ERA and 85 strikeouts. Ken's Grade: F -- Unable to start, can't relieve. All the control of an eight-year-old. Scott's Grade: D -- No "F" from me. He gets credit for showing up. Kind of a participation trophy grade. Dan's Grade: F -- If you watched him pitch, you would know. Tony's Grade: D- -- He tried and didn't give up so that is something. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: D- Jesse Chavez: 5 saves with 2.55 ERA, 92 strikeouts and 1.06 WHIP. Ken's Grade: A+ -- The one guy in the bullpen that never faltered. Scott's Grade: A+ -- Not just good, he was a blast to watch. A+ isn't enough. He deserves that and a contract. Dan's Grade: A -- What a great pick up down the stretch. Tony's Grade: A -- What a great under-the-radar trade to get Chavez. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: A Steve Cishek: 4 saves with 2.18 ERA, 78 strikeouts and 1.04 WHIP. Ken's Grade: C -- When he was on, he was really on, when he was off, he was really off. Scott's Grade: B- -- Another fun one. He did what was asked, just not consistently enough. Dan's Grade: B -- A surprise but ran out of gas at the end. Tony's Grade: B -- He was used a ton and wore out a little down the stretch. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: B- Brian Duensing: 1 save with 7.65 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Ken's Grade: F -- With a negative WAR (-1.65) and an ERA of 7.65, the wheels fell off the train this season. Scott's Grade: F -- Mostly because I had to fast-forward through his pitches; I couldn't bear to watch. Dan's Grade: D -- Really disappointing after 2017. Tony's Grade: F -- They needed him to step up and he didn't have it this season. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: F C.J. Edwards Jr.: 2.60 ERA with 67 strikeouts. Ken's Grade: C- -- Edwards went from absolutely dependable to "iffy" at best. Scott's Grade: B- -- My wife likes Edwards Jr. so really, this is her grade. Dan's Grade: C -- He needs to get his head on straight. Tony's Grade: C -- He has the makings of an elite reliever but has to get his control back. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: C Cole Hamels: 9-12 record with 3.78 ERA, 188 strikeouts and 1.26 WHIP (combined with TX and Cubs). Ken's Grade: A+ -- They got Hamels to jump-start the rotation and he did it well, including a complete game. Scott's Grade: A -- Dynamite arm, cold as ice on the mound. A keeper, Theo. A keeper. Got it? Dan's Grade: B -- One last gasp for the Cubs was welcome. Tony's Grade: A -- Another shrewd pickup by Epstein. Let's see if they can make more magic together in 2019. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: A Kyle Hendricks: 14-11 record with 3.44 ERA, 161 strikeouts and 1.15 WHIP. Ken's Grade: A -- Recovering nicely from his first inning woes, Hendricks settled in to become one of the most dependable on the rotation. Scott's Grade: A+ -- Because he's Kyle Hendricks, he of the slow-lane fastball. Dan's Grade: B+ -- Arguably the ace if he can do it for a full season. Tony's Grade: B+ -- He was super solid again except for some first inning problems. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: A- Brandon Kintzler: 2 saves with 4.60 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Ken's Grade: B- -- Though Kintzler had some rough appearances, I blame a lot of them on not being used properly. Scott's Grade: C- -- He faltered as time went on. Can't put this on Hickey. Dan's Grade: D -- Never got on track this season. Tony's Grade: C- -- Cubs management needed more out of him to stabilize the bullpen. He didn't deliver. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: C- Jon Lester: 18-6 record with 3.32 ERA, 149 strikeouts and 1.31 WHIP. Ken's Grade: A+ -- A few bad outings in 32 starts, but Lester never gave up, and refused to surrender to batters. Scott's Grade: A+ -- His temper tantrum at Maddon taking him out got him the "+". Dan's Grade: A- -- Was steady all but four starts. Tony's Grade: A+ -- The Cubs are still looking for another free agent pitching gem like Jon Lester. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: A+ Mike Montgomery: 5-6 record with 3.99 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 1.37 WHIP. Ken's Grade: A -- Tapped to fill Chatwood's spot, Montgomery remained solid most of the season. Scott's Grade: B+ -- Earned his rotation spot, even though it fell in his lap. Dan's Grade: B -- Better from the pen than starting. Tony's Grade: B -- He did the best he could as he was pulled between starting and in the bullpen. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: B+ Jose Quintana: 13-11 record with 4.03 ERA, 158 strikeouts and 1.32 WHIP. Ken's Grade: A -- Not a flashy guy, he was quietly solid all season. Scott's Grade: A -- I thought Q hung in there under fire, and threw his way out of a bad inning or two. Or three. Ok, four. Dan's Grade: B- -- Rough patches but reliable generally. Tony's Grade: B -- Solid season and stayed healthy which the Cubs needed from him. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: B+ Pedro Strop: 13 saves with 2.26 ERA, 57 strikeouts and 0.99 WHIP. Ken's Grade: A -- Aside from performance, Strop gets an "A" from me due to his energy level and his desire to be the best. Scott's Grade: A -- How do you not give Strop an A? A fireballer. Dan's Grade: A -- Thank goodness he stepped up. Tony's Grade: A -- He stepped up as a leader when Morrow hurt his back putting his pants on, etc. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: A Justin Wilson: 4-5 record with 3.46 ERA, 69 strikeouts and 1.43 WHIP. Ken's Grade: C+ -- His good days mostly outweighed the bad, but he was way too unpredictable when it really mattered. Scott's Grade: C -- Hate to say it, but I honestly thought he choked a few times. Dan's Grade: C -- Not sure what to make of him. Tony's Grade: C- -- Just was way too volatile to be counted on during key situations with that high 1.43 WHIP. CubsHQ's Overall Grade: C *** Injured players such as Yu Darvish, Brandon Morrow, etc get incomplete grades *** Check out all of the CubsHQ grades below for the 2018 season: Part 2 Cubs grades for hitters
