ESPN rewards Chicago Cubs with a high grade for hot start in April

The Chicago Cubs were one of the better teams in April, finishing the month with a 17-9 record. The Cubs saw contributions from the core members of their lineup, outfielders Ian Happ (.893 OPS) and Seiya Suzuki (.928 OPS), leading the charge.

Cubs rookie catcher Moises “Mo Baller” Ballesteros has also produced this season, hitting .317 with a .978 OPS (leads the team) and six home runs. The Cubs have also seen a solid run from two members of the starting rotation, left-hander Shota Imanaga (2.40 ERA and 0.85 WHIP) and right-hander Edward Cabrera (3.06 ERA and 1.19 WHIP).

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The Cubs’ depth has also proven to be successful, with infielder/outfielder Matt Shaw bouncing back after a tough rookie season — Shaw is hitting .278 with a .786 OPS in 30 games after batting .226 with a .690 OPS in 126 games last season. Receiving production from every aspect of the roster, the Cubs got a pretty solid grade for the start to their season.

The Chicago Cubs received an A- for how they finished April

According to ESPN’s David Schoenfield, the Cubs’ hot start in April earned them the third-highest grade, with the New York Yankees (A) and the Atlanta Braves (A+) finishing higher. Schoenfield notes that the depth puts them at the top, with first baseman Michael Busch struggling in April (batting .188 with a .553 OPS).

“The sign of a good team is one that has the roster depth to overcome slow starts and injuries,” wrote Schoenfield. “That has been the case with the Cubs. Michael Busch was the Cubs’ best hitter last season and hit .173 without a home run in his first 22 games. Seiya Suzuki sat out the first 12 games. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit one home run in his first 29 games. Closer Daniel Palencia went down early because of a lat strain. Despite all of that, the Cubs are still averaging more than five runs and manager Craig Counsell has expertly managed the late-game bullpen, with seven different relievers picking up saves. Cade Horton‘s season-ending injury is a huge blow to the rotation, and the Cubs don’t really have an ace, but the expectations should be high for this team.”

Beginning May with a 3-0 record, the Cubs look like they continue their hot start into the second month of the season. Busch has started to turn things around at the plate, hitting .271 with a .854 OPS with two home runs and 14 RBI in his last 15 games, which helped raise his season average to .218. Right-hander Daniel Palencia was activated on Sunday after his time on the injured list.

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