CINCINNATI — With one game left this season, check out what the end-of-season Cubs rotation has pulled off since the All-Star break:
A second-half collective ERA of 2.88 — third in the majors behind only 100-win World Series contenders Houston and the Dodgers.
It’s an eye-popping finish that raises the obvious question:
Who the heck are these guys setting the tone for a surprising 38-31 second-half record despite losses the past two nights to the Reds?
And is it conceivable any of it will matter by the time this team reconvenes next spring with some of the same names and undoubtedly some important new ones?
“You never want to look too far into the future,” said Marcus Stroman, last winter’s $71 million free agent starter. “It could be a complete new staff next year.
“I love what we have. I love the young group of guys.”
MLB
One of them pitched Tuesday night in Game No. 161, pitching into the sixth with another scoreless outing.
Rookie Javier Assad, who debuted Aug. 23, didn’t get the win after the bullpen gave up his 1-0 lead and eventually lost a 3-2 decision to the Reds on Spencer Steer’s double over the head of too-shallow center fielder Chris Morel.
But check out the kid with the 95-mph good-life fastball and breaking ball after a nine-game (eight-start) big-league debut: 3.11 ERA overall and 2.95 in the eight starts.
“Javy threw great,” manager David Ross said. “He’s always had the pitch-ability. He wasn’t on the radar very much to start the season. When the velocity up-ticked it was up there at 94, 95 today, and getting those 94s consistently from him, just really makes it tough to hit him.
“The ball’s got good movement, and he knows how to use his pitches and keep hitters off balance and knows how to use the corners. He hasn’t shied away from any moments.”
Assad, 25, can’t be sure how he fits into next season. Depending on how much pitching the Cubs acquire during their much-anticipated offseason, he could fit anywhere from the back end of the Cubs’ rotation or (more likely) valuable depth at Triple-A to open the season.
“It’s not up to me the decision on where I’m going to fit next season, but I know that I’m going to go my best,” Assad said through interpreter Will Nadal, “and put in the work and make sure I can be considered for next season.”
For now, he’s the under-the-radar name that sums up as well as anyone’s the makeup of the 10-man list of starters that has produced that stellar second-half rotation performance.
It’s a group that doesn’t include Opening Day starter Kyle Hendricks, who hasn’t pitched since June because of a shoulder injury.
But it does include a guy who wasn’t in the organization on July 31 and two more who have since left the organization.
Assad is one of two rookie who have debuted in the last six weeks, joining Hayden Wesneski (Sept. 6 debut), who was acquired from the Yankees on Aug. 1 in the Scott Effross trade.
Stroman is one of only three who were in the rotation when the season began (also Justin Steele, who hasn’t pitched in a month, and Drew Smyly, who missed a month in between with an oblique injury).
The complete 10-man list, in order of most starts (team’s record for their starts in parentheses), with second-half ERAs:
- Marcus Stroman, 14 starts (7-7), 83 IP, 2.71 ERA
- Adrian Sampson, 13 starts (7-6), 69.1 IP, 2.99 ERA
- Drew Smyly, 11 starts (7-4), 57.1IP, 2.83 ERA
- *Javier Assad, 8 starts (4-4), 36.2 IP, 2.95 ERA
- Justin Steele, 7 starts (5-2), 36.2 IP, 0.98 ERA
- Keegan Thompson, 5 starts (3-2), 23 IP, 5.87 ERA
- *Hayden Wesneski, 4 starts (2-2), 24.1 IP, 1.85 ERA
- Wade Miley, 4 starts (1-3), 16 IP, 3.94 ERA
- **Luke Farrell, 2 starts (2-0), 6.1 IP, 4.26 ERA
- **Sean Newcomb, 1 start, (0-1), 3 IP, 6.00
*-Made MLB debut in 2022; **-No longer in organization.