10 most amazing Cubs stats from the 2020 MLB season

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When the Cubs took the field against the Brewers on July 24 to begin a shortened 60-game season, nobody knew what to expect over the next couple of months. The fact the Cubs got through all of those games (plus two more in the postseason) without a positive test for COVID-19 is probably one of the most unusual occurrences in a very unusual season.As for what happened on the field, I crunched the numbers and came up with 10 amazing stats and facts from the 2020 season.

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On Aug. 30 in Cincinnati, the Cubs starting outfield (LF Kyle Schwarber, CF Ian Happ and RF Jason Heyward) all had a multi-homer game. It’s the first time in MLB history a starting outfield all hit a pair of homers in a game. It was only the second time in Cubs history three players at ANY position had a multi-HR game. The other was April 16, 1955, when first baseman Dee Fondy, shortstop Ernie Banks and third baseman Randy Jackson all homered twice in a 12-11 loss in St. Louis.

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When Ian Happ homered on Sept. 1 at Pittsburgh, it was his 60th career home run, and a new Cubs career record for switch hitters. Augie Galan, who was the previous holder of the record, played his last game for the Cubs in 1941.

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For the second straight year, Ian Happ’s final two home runs of the regular season came in a multi-homer game off the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright.  His last two homers this season came in the first game of a Sept. 5 doubleheader, while his last two in 2019 came on Sept. 28. The last Cub to hit multiple homers in a game off the same pitcher two years in a row was Andre Dawson in 1989-90 off the Braves’ Pete Smith, though it should be noted that Sammy Sosa hit two homers off Rheal Cormier twice in 1993 alone.

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Alec Mills tossed a no-hitter on Sept. 13 – a 12-0 whitewashing of the Brewers at Miller Park. It is the only complete game of Alec Mills’ MLB career. Of the last 12 complete game no-hitters thrown across the majors, five of them are by pitchers whose only career complete games… are their no-hitters. Those pitchers are Mike Fiers (his only TWO complete games are no-hitters), Sean Manaea, Hisashi Iwakuma and Mills (one apiece). By the way, Mills’ masterpiece was the first Cubs no-hitter where the pitcher didn’t bat.

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In the season finale, Billy Hamilton stole home AND hit a home run against the White Sox. Certainly an uncommon achievement, but how rare? No Cubs player had done it since Glenn Beckert on April 11, 1967 – which is nearly 10 years before current Cubs skipper David Ross was born.

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From July 31 through Sept. 4, Yu Darvish had seven straight starts where he got the win, pitched six or more innings and allowed no more than one run. It was the longest such streak since Johan Santana of the Twins in 2004 (seven straight), and the longest in the National League since Bob Gibson had 11 in a row in his legendary 1968 season.

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David Bote led the team with 29 RBIs. Considering the star power on the Cubs roster that’s surprising enough. But when you dig deeper, it’s even more amazing. Bote led the team in RBIs despite missing 25 percent of the season. In addition, in 10 of his 45 games, he didn’t even start. Furthermore, he made only TWO starts in the first five spots in the order, and 23 of his 29 RBIs came from the seventh, eighth and ninth spots in the batting order.

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The Cubs had trouble all season with high velocity. In fact, entering the three-game series of the season with the White Sox to finish the season, the Cubs had three extra-base hits all year on pitches 97+ MPH – a pair of Kyle Schwarber doubles and a Kris Bryant triple – no home runs.

But on Sept. 25, the first game of the final series of the season with the White Sox, the Cubs teed off on Dylan Cease for three home runs. Schwarber homered on a 99.5 MPH heater, Willson Contreras on a 98.9 MPH offering and Javier Báez on a 97.4 MPH pitch. It ended up being the only time all season a team had three homers on 97+ MPH pitches in a game.

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Kyle Hendricks posted 64 strikeouts to only eight walks in his 12 starts in 2020. That ratio of eight punchouts per free pass ranks first in Cubs history among pitchers with at least 50 innings in a season. He was also the first Cub to make at least 10 starts with fewer walks than games started since Jon Lieber (21 starts, 12 walks) in 2002. Hendricks has now gone 41 straight starts without walking more than two in a game. Want to reach base against Kyle Hendricks? Better try and get a hit.

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The Cubs hit .210 at home this season, the worst home batting average in the majors. Since moving into Wrigley Field in 1916, their .210 home batting average is by far their worst in a season, the next lowest season batting average at Wrigley was in 2015, when they hit .237. Also, their .354 slugging percentage at Wrigley was the worst home mark in the majors and their worst since they posted a .347 at home in 1946. On top of that, they had a -8 run differential at home this season. Of course, they had a better home record (19-14) than road (15-12) and ended up winning the NL Central anyway.

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