Abrief chase
Sox, Cubs had good regular seasons, buttheir postseasons ended quickly; what’s in store for ’21?
From Sept. 4 to Sept. 22, the White Sox were in first place in the American League Central, joining the Cubs, who were in first place in the National League Central. Now I’m not pointing any fingers, but someone put the whammy on these teams by imagining an all-ChicagoWorld Series. Whoever it was, I hope you’re really, really proud of yourself.
The fun of the regular season was done very quickly in whatever you call that first round of the postseason. Here is a definitive look at the two halves of this regular season. Despite their brevity, they are telling as to how the teams achieved their regular-season success.
2020 SEASON: BATTING
• In the first half, the Cubs were 18-12.
• In the second half, the Cubs were 16-14. • The Cubs totaled 55 days in first.
• At the 30-gamemark, Cubs batters hit .228. • In the second half of the season, Cubs batters hit .212, 29th in the majors.
2020 SEASON: PITCHING
• In the first 30 games, the Cubs had a 4.55 ERA, 17th in the majors.
• In the last 30 games, the Cubs had a 3.43 ERA, fourth in the majors.
• In the first 30 games, the Cubs had a 1.26 WHIP, 10th in the majors.
• In the last 30 games, the Cubs had a 1.18 WHIP, fourth in themajors.
HITTING AGAINST LEFTIES
• The Cubs hit .196 against lefties, secondworst in themajors.
• Anthony Rizzo hit .204, Kyle Schwarber hit .189 and Willson Contreras hit .186.
RIGHTIES AT THE PLATE
• The Cubs’ right-handed batters hit .209, second-worst in the majors.
AGAINST FASTBALLS
• Cubs batters hit .229 against fastballs, 28th in the majors.
• Rizzo hit .207, and Schwarber hit .206.
TEAMWAR LEADERS: BATTERS
(according to Baseball-Reference)
• Jason Heyward led the Cubs with a 1.3WAR; Ian Happ was next at 1.1.
TEAMWAR LEADERS: PITCHERS
(according to Baseball-Reference)
• Yu Darvish led the Cubs with a 2.6, followed by Kyle Hendricks at 1.9 and Jeremy Jeffress at 1.2.
CHICAGO FORECAST
• Bundle up, this is going to be a cold winter, and the longrange forecast for 2021 does not bode well.
2020 SEASON: BATTING
• In the first half, the White Sox were 18-12. • In the second half, the White Sox were 17-13.
• The Sox were in first for 22 days.
• At the 30-game mark, Sox batters led the majors with a .267 BA.
• In the second half of the season, Sox batters hit .255, 11th in the majors.
2020 SEASON: PITCHING
• In the first 30 games, the Sox had a 3.66 ERA, sixth in the majors.
• In the last 30 games, the Sox had a 3.95 ERA, ninth in the majors.
• In the first 30 games, the Sox had a 1.21 WHIP, sixth in the majors.
• In the last 30 games, the Sox had a 1.31 WHIP, 15th in the majors.
HITTING AGAINST LEFTIES
• The Sox hit .285 against lefties, secondbest in themajors.
• Tim Anderson hit .449.
RIGHTIES AT THE PLATE
• The Sox’ right-handed batters hit .277, second-best in the majors.
AGAINST FASTBALLS
• Sox batters hit .275 against fastballs, better than the .259 major-league average. • Anderson hit .423, Eloy Jimenez hit .356, Jose Abreu hit .352 and Yoan Moncada hit .317.
TEAMWAR LEADERS: BATTERS
(according to Baseball-Reference)
• Abreu led the Sox with a 2.8 WAR, Anderson was next at 2.2, followed by Luis Robert (1.6), James McCann (1.2) and Jimenez (1.1).
TEAMWAR LEADERS: PITCHERS
(according to Baseball-Reference)
• Dallas Keuchel led the Sox with a 2.0, followed by Alex Colome at 1.0.
CHICAGO FORECAST
• The sun should be shining with calm skies ahead, and next summer looks like fun. ✶