Cubs Quick Hits: Justin Wilson’s Best Stretch as a Cub

Can you guess when Justin Wilson last surrendered a walk? I asked myself the same question during his last outing. I thought maybe it had been a week or so ago since the big lefty allowed a free pass. Nope.

The last time Wilson walked a batter was April 21 in Colorado. He’s pitched in seven different outings over that stretch with allowing just one run on April 24.

In that walk-less period, Wilson has thrown about 11 percent more pitches inside the strike zone, and he’s been able to draw over 75 percent more whiffs outside the zone. So basically, he’s throwing more strikes and making batters whiff more even when he doesn’t hit the zone. Sounds like a good formula to me.

For the first time since donning the blue pinstripes, Wilson looks like the reliever for whom the Cubs traded Isaac Paredes and Jeimer Candelario.