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With the 16th overall pick in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, the Cubs selected Hayden Simpson, a right-handed pitcher out of the University of Southern Arkansas. The former "Mulerider" posted a 13-1 record in 15 starts to accompany a 1.81 ERA. He also threw an astounding 131 strikeouts in 99 1/3 innings while walking only 35. Simpson stands as a physically unimposing presence on the mound at 6'0", 170 ...

You look at the Cubs' record, and you can't help but grimace. Their record, 14-17, is right in line with their Pythagorean Record, 15-16. The Cubs struggle somewhat in one-run games, going 3-6 in such contests. The Cubs struggle mightily on the road, going 7-11 on road games, as opposed to 7-6 at Wrigley. Let's gander at their pitching. The Cubs are actually pitching very well. They ...

Ryan Dempster isn't a bad pitcher. Sure, he isn't nearly worth his contract extension that Jim Hendry typically gives players past their prime, which comes out to $12.5 million this year, $13.5 million next year, and a $14 million player option that he is sure to pick up (at age 35), but he really isn't all that bad. Dempster has pitched with mixed success in his two starts this ...

Carlos Silva may look about as epically potbellied as a birthing whale on the mound, but in his two starts, he's actually looked good. In 13 innings of work, Silva has posted a career-high strikeout rate (5.54 K/9). Again, it is only 13 innings of work, so this is an incredibly small sample size, and his strikeout rate will probably return to his career norm of 3.80 K/9. His stuff, ...

Starlin Castro , arguably the Cubs' top prospect, is flashing the potential to hit at the big-league level early in the season. The Tennessee Smokie shortstop is currently hitting .342, with a .500 slugging percentage helped by his two triples in eight games. Castro, however, boasts only a .350 on-base percentage due to only one walk on the season, so far. The lack of patience is troublesome for ...

Well, the inevitable happened Thursday, and the Cubs took home their first 'W ' for the 2010 season. Cubs pitcher Randy Wells (1-0) pitched remarkably well, although I still believe he could go back to catching full time, and perform to the Cubs' standard . There are several very nice things to be taken from this game. We'll begin with Randy Wells' performance. ...

Well, the inevitable happened Thursday, and the Cubs took home their first 'W ' for the 2010 season. Cubs pitcher Randy Wells (1-0) pitched remarkably well, although I still be he could go back to catching full time, and perform to the Cubs' standard . There are several very nice things to be taken from this game. We'll begin with Randy Wells' performance. Wells sat at around 90 mph with ...

Too bad there's no such thing as mulligans in baseball. Carlos Zambrano's first two innings were just about as bad as they come, as the Atlanta Braves pounded on the Cubs in the season opener. You really have to squint to see anything good in this one, but there are some promising remarks to be made. First, the bad. Zambrano (0-1) left the game after 1.1 ...