Hey, it worked this time!

MLB Stat of the Day ‏@MLBStatoftheDay 2h2 hours ago
The @Cubs starting pitchers have a 14-1 record with a 1.78 ERA in their 21 games in August.

I think I speak for Cub fans everywhere when I say that I'd be perfectly happy to watch Bryant's yearly WAR match Pujols' career path for the next decade or so.

Yes it's very good. But a list like that will omit some excellent players who don't qualify because their first season was 8 or 12 games or something like that. Mike Trout being an obvious one, but also guys like Joe Jackson (-0.5 in his first 2 seasons, but 18.8 in his first 2 seasons of more than 20 games. Stan Musial who's first year was 12 games, and his net 2 he had 14.7. Frank Thomas who had 13.8 in the two years after his late season call up. ARod of course.

But yeah, I think the Cubs are pleased.

Funny, I found the keys and just posted something to Gonfalon Cubs. I just changed the status to pending so hopefully it won't compete with this thread.

Can he move into 2nd by the end of the year?

Sure he could, but I'm not going to be greedy. I am just thrilled that the Cubs are breaking through with a player who is clearly capable of sustained excellence.

Glad you found the keys. We all only have keys to our own stuff, so I can't see yours. I don't know if Jim will make it live or not, so you should change the status to open. Feel free to steal this thread's thunder, I just wanted something new up.

No, I'll wait. Totally different topic!

After 121 games, the Cubs have passed the high point of the 2008 team, and are 36 games over .500, a point last reached in 1945. After 121 games that season, the Cubs were 77-44. The '45 Cubs did not reach the +36 mark until game 141, and finished 98-56.

Highest OPS in first 273 games among players who played their first career game since 2000 (599 qualifying players):



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Generated 8/24/2016.

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It's been nice to see an actual development machine for position players. They don't seem to be churning out pitchers like they used to, but that's more than likely because of the shift in focus from pitching to hitting. And they seem to have replaced that pitching with relievers off the scrap heap, so it isn't as if it's a big problem.

Also, Addison Russel has hit like Kris Bryant in the month of August.

Also, Addison Russel has hit like Kris Bryant in the month of August.

Boy has he... It's really hard to settle on a favorite Cub in this edition, but I'm very much leaning towards him (or Kyle Hendricks in the pitcher side... the other Kyle would be in the running if he wasn't hurt).

If he can get those K rates down a notch, look out. Kid can play and then some.

Heh -- check out #5 on this list... written less than 6 weeks ago :-)

It's been nice to see an actual development machine for position players. They don't seem to be churning out pitchers like they used to, but that's more than likely because of the shift in focus from pitching to hitting. And they seem to have replaced that pitching with relievers off the scrap heap, so it isn't as if it's a big problem.

They went so long without developing an actual hitter. We basically went from Mark Grace in 1988 to Bryant/Russell/Baez/Soler/Schwarber last year, with a couple of 1-2 year wonders tossed in here and there (Choi was decent in the first half of 2003, Soto had a couple of good seasons, Patterson made an AS team IIRC).

That's a long drought of futility.

They went so long without developing an actual hitter. We basically went from Mark Grace in 1988 to Bryant/Russell/Baez/Soler/Schwarber last year, with a couple of 1-2 year wonders tossed in here and there (Choi was decent in the first half of 2003, Soto had a couple of good seasons, Patterson made an AS team IIRC).

Forgotten Castro so quickly?

Forgotten Castro so quickly?

Castro has forgotten Castro.

Remember when his offensive 'downside' was Garry Templeton? That's now his UPSIDE.

Castro has forgotten Castro.

Remember when his offensive 'downside' was Garry Templeton? That's now his UPSIDE.

One of the strangest "development curves" in MLB history (non-traumatic injury division)

Remember when his offensive 'downside' was Garry Templeton? That's now his UPSIDE.

Interesting.

Castro - 4265 PA 96 OPS+

Templeton through 1983 - 4205 PA 97 OPS+

Templeton had 4000 more PA remaining at 76 OPS+. If Castro is that bad, he won't get the playing time.

57 players have 4000+ PA through Age 26 season, debut since Mazeroski:



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Generated 8/25/2016.

#21 Right Templeton's character ( which Castro can't match ) got him that playing time.

I actually did forget Castro. That's my bad.

Patterson made an AS team IIRC

I thought so too, but BR doesn't show it. Although I might be thinking of that year when he was one of the last 5 or whatever that fans vote on.

Anyway, speaking of Patterson, nothing has made me feel older recently than noticing a couple weeks ago that it was Corey's 37th birthday. Man, how time flies.

I also didn't realize until just now that he ended up playing for 7 MLB teams. Not bad for a guy that had over half of his PAs with one team.

Last year there was an article somewhere positing hypothetical teams if no trades, FA, or releases were allowed. basically every team was made up of players originally signed to their first professional contract. The 2016 Cubs:

C - Willson Contreras
1b - Kris Bryant
2b - DJ LeMahieu
SS - Javier Baez
3B - Josh Donaldson
LF - Matt Szczur
CF - Albert Almora
RF - Jorge Soler

SP - Chris Archer
SP - Andrew Cashner
SP - Rich Hill
SP - Jeff Samardzjia
SP - Rickey Nolasco

That's a damned good lineup, even better if Schwarber comes back whole, but a scary pitching staff.

But a list like that will omit some excellent players who don't qualify because their first season was 8 or 12 games or something like that.

You mean like if Bryant had been called up in Aug 2014 like he should have been. :-)

Also we are comping Bryant at 23-24 to, for example, Bryce Harper at 19-20 or Machado at 19-20 or Frank Robinson at 20-21. Both of those current guys are younger than Bryant this season. So a more fair comparison that, in Bryant's case, will also take care of most of the players missed due to cups of coffee is to compare age 23-24 seasons. (This will still miss guys who missed time to injury, etc.)

Just in the expansion era, Bryant is 25th for ages 23-24 (no shame in that). Trout 17, Pujols 17, Griffey 15.5, Santo 15.5 ... Longoria 15.5 ... Brett 15 ... Willie Wilson 15 ... Grich 14 ... Moseby 13 ... Glaus 13 ... Andruw 13 ... Wright 12, Sandberg 12, Lynn 12, Sizemore 12. So even by expansion-era Cub standards he's currently tied for #2 and by 2B/3B/CF standards he's currently tied for 10th (not to mention all the SS and Bench). Many of those guys did similarly at 22-23 and you can add Betts, Machado, Cedeno, Fregosi, Harper, Rolen. Heck, Hank Blalock had 11 WAR at 22-23.

Awesome player but he's more in the Rolen/Glaus to Santo range (no complaints!) and most definitely shouldn't yet be compared in any way to Williams, Pujols, DiMaggio, Robinson, etc. in anything resembling career comps or great starts. Frank Robinson had 18 WAR before age 23.

I thought so too, but BR doesn't show it. Although I might be thinking of that year when he was one of the last 5 or whatever that fans vote on.

I think he was a near-lock to make the 2003 team as a backup, but got hurt just before the team was picked.

Just in the expansion era, Bryant is 25th for ages 23-24 (no shame in that). Trout 17, Pujols 17, Griffey 15.5, Santo 15.5 ... Longoria 15.5 ... Brett 15 ... Willie Wilson 15 ... Grich 14 ... Moseby 13 ... Glaus 13 ... Andruw 13 ... Wright 12, Sandberg 12, Lynn 12, Sizemore 12. So even by expansion-era Cub standards he's currently tied for #2 and by 2B/3B/CF standards he's currently tied for 10th (not to mention all the SS and Bench). Many of those guys did similarly at 22-23 and you can add Betts, Machado, Cedeno, Fregosi, Harper, Rolen. Heck, Hank Blalock had 11 WAR at 22-23.

Moseby surprised me on the list -- I remember him being good, but not that good... and sure enough - the age 23 and 24 seasons were pretty big outliers. He was still better than I remember - he'd post 3.2 WAR the following year, and then a 4 WAR year later in his career... 27.4 career total, which certainly isn't bad. However, half that comes in just those two years. He was a full-timer at 20 -- and wasn't very good in that season (or his age 21 or 22 seasons).

Bryant has 274 games by Age 24.234 (Bryant's age yesterday), the 75th most among players who played in 2016.

Beltre 810, Starlin 740, Miggy 720, Trout 652, A-Rod 642, Harper 627+, Andrus 615, Pujols 605, Reyes 596, JUpton 590, Machado 573+, Stanton 571, Heyward 533, BButler 533, Francoeur 522, Crawford 522, Jay Bruce 514, Altuve 514, Prince 513, Hosmer 507 and Freeman 501 with 500+. Bogaerts 441 at 23.330 most likely does it.