The Cubs and Brewers continue their fight at the top of the National League Central. St. Louis has struggled to regain its footing over its last 10 games, while the Pittsburgh Pirates have been playing better as of late, getting closer to cementing themselves as a roughly average team. Lastly, over the last 10 games, the Reds have the best record in the division, going 6-4 during that stretch.
Chicago Cubs
Actual W/L: 42-29
Pythagorean W/L: 46-25
What’s going right
Over the course of the month of June, the Cubs’ bullpen has been the best in the Central. Through 63.1 innings, they carry a 3.14 FIP, which is fifth in all of baseball. Part of their success can likely be attributed to the fact that they’ve limited the long ball this month, only giving up four home runs since June 1, which is tied for third in baseball.
What’s going wrong
While June has shone brightly on the pitching staff, the offense is yet to reap the rewards. Since June 1, the Cubs have only plated 69 runs, which is ninth worst in baseball. The team has also only attained an 86 wRC+, also ninth worst in baseball.
Disabled list: Yu Darvish, Brandon Morrow, Eddie Butler, Drew Smyly
Milwaukee Brewers
Actual W/L: 43-30
Pythagorean W/L: 42-31
What’s going right
A concern for the Brewers’ chances at success this year fell largely on the shoulders of the starting rotation. Fortunately for the Crew, they’ve seen a lot of improvements in that department. Through the month of June, Milwaukee has one of the best starting rotations in the sport, amassing a 2.97 ERA (fifth in baseball), and a 3.39 FIP, which is also fifth in baseball.
What’s going wrong
Domingo Santana was a .278 hitter with 30 home runs a year ago. Those numbers are yet to translate to 2018. Because of the Brewers’ success, Santana has become something of an odd man out this season. Only 22 at bats in June, the righty outfielder is only hitting .182 and virtually nothing else to show besides a pair of singles and doubles.
Disabled list: Zach Davies, Jimmy Nelson, Wade Miley, Stephen Vogt, Nick Franklin, Tyler Saladino, Matt Albers
St. Louis Cardinals
Actual W/L: 38-34
Pythagorean W/L: 37-35
What’s going right
Jordan Hicks started the season as somewhat of a liability. He could throw very had, but was also very wild. He’s since reigned it in and has turned into a fairly reliable option for Matheny’s Cards. He tossed nine innings in June, and has allowed one earned run during that time. His BB% is at 5.7%, while his K% is up to 42.9%. He’s been in the zone more and has been tougher to figure out.
What’s going wrong
The bullpen hasn’t been perfect, but the rotation has struggled more in the month of June for St. Louis. A 4.86 FIP has them seventh worst in baseball behind teams that are mostly at or near the cellar of their respective divisions. A lot of youth has likely contributed to the ups and downs of the starting five. That, and sporadic injuries.
Disabled list: Paul DeJong, Alex Reyes, Adam Wainwright, Matt Bowman, Luke Gregerson, Dominic Leone, Tyler Lyons, Ryan Sherriff
Pittsburgh Pirates
Actual W/L: 36-37
Pythagorean W/L: 37-36
What’s going right
The Pirates might have finally found themselves a player that can stick in the cleanup spot: Colin Moran. No, Moran hasn’t been there for the entire month of June, but his June numbers have stayed up, and that hasn’t changed much since moving to fourth in the order, a spot that has seemingly been cursed for years for Pittsburgh. Moran’s June has netted a .359 wOBA, 128 wRC+, and three home runs.
What’s going wrong
Although there’s yet to be anything really serious, the minor injury bug appears to be catching up to the Pirates. They’ve been fortunate this season to be utilizing a mostly healthy roster. However, Francisco Cervelli has been dinged up and forced to miss games more than a couple times recently, while Austin Meadows was listed as day-to-day with a foot injury (but appears to be good to go). In Indianapolis, Jung Ho Kang suffered a wrist injury with undisclosed specifics. With that said, the Pirates’ disabled list still remains short.
Disabled list: Nick Burdi, Enny Romero, A.J. Schugel
Cincinnati Reds
Actual W/L: 28-45
Pythagorean W/L: 31-42
What’s going right
Last week, I touched on how potent certain members of the Reds’ offense have been (Eugenio Suarez, Scooter Gennett, Joey Votto). Thanks to those guys, the Reds sport the fifth best OPS in all of baseball during June at .805. At Great American Ballpark, it’s .865, which is the best in baseball. They’ve also got the highest wRC+ of any home team at 138.
What’s going wrong
As good as the offense has been, the pitching still hasn’t really been there. The team’s 4.44 ERA in June is sixth worst in baseball. That number, however, has been trending up since the beginning of the season. In March/April, the Reds were second worst in baseball in terms of team ERA at 5.32. In May, that number improved to 4.64. Then, as noted above, team ERA further improved, this time by .20, placing the Reds on an upward trajectory, giving fans something to hold onto moving forward.
Disabled list: Homer Bailey, Rookie Davis
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