Just a Few Random Thoughts Following Cubs’ 8-1 Road Trip

I’m about to unplug for a while and enjoy the rest of my holiday weekend, but first wanted to get out a few of the thoughts and numbers bouncing around in my head. It’s beyond wild to me that the Cubs have now won six straight and nine of their last 10, over which time they’ve scored 99 runs. Yep, nearly 10 runs per game thanks to five double-digit outbursts in that span.

For context, the offense had managed just four double-digit scoring performances in the previous 127 games. What a difference it makes to have the bottom of the order producing even better than the middle. Since July 22, the Cubs’ Nos. 8 and 9 hitters are batting .432 with five homers and 35 RBI. More than one-third of their total runs were produced by the last two hitters.

That includes Christian Bethancourt, who exploded for seven ribeyes against the Pirates the other day. Not bad, especially when you consider that Yan Gomes drove in seven runs in 96 plate appearances prior to being let go.

Miguel Amaya‘s turnaround has been nothing short of incredible, fueled by quieter swing mechanics that ditched a big leg kick in favor of a subtle toe-tap. He’s gone from someone the front office viewed as a backup moving forward to once again looking like the primary backstop for years to come. I could be wrong, but it’s hard to see Jed Hoyer being willing to part with top prospects to acquire a catcher this winter.

Since taking a break to reset in early July, Amaya is slashing .333/.377/.556 with five homers, a .399 wOBA, and a 160 wRC+ in 109 plate appearances. More incredible than the turnaround itself is that he did it midseason with the kind of change that isn’t easy for a hitter to make in even the low-pressure environment of winter workouts. It helps that his move was simplified, and I also wonder whether the changes fall more in line with his motor preference.

Then you’ve got PCA, who has established himself as the everyday center fielder no matter who’s on the mound. Craig Counsell is no longer protecting the young hitter with favorable matchups, as we saw twice this weekend when Crow-Armstrong was in the lineup against lefty starters. The kid is making the most of his own adjustments, slashing .308/.359/.533 with a .373 wOBA and 143 wRC+ since July 26. Oh, and that doesn’t include his three hits Sunday afternoon in DC.

Nor do the numbers tell the story of how his speed creeps into opposing teams’ heads, prompting unforced errors that lead to extra bases and runs. He seemed to be just a little out of control at times when he first came up, but that’s been reined in and his confidence has him playing like a star in the making. It’s just a good thing you didn’t write him off like that guy did. Oh, and her over there. Y’all know who you are.

PCA has raised his batting average and OBP by 57 points over the last month and change while his slugging percentage has jumped 98 points. His wOBA is 61 points higher (.230 to .291) and his wRC+ has nearly doubled (45 to 87). What’s really interesting to me is how those first two numbers have remained in lockstep at 50 points apart. That indicates to me that he didn’t make any real changes to his approach, it’s just a matter of cleaning a few things up and carrying his confidence to the plate.

The Cubs are playing their best baseball of the season by far and they look better than they have in years, to the point that they’re making it pretty easy to believe in a legit run. I wouldn’t have said that even a few days ago, but things are going to get very interesting if the Braves drop another one in Philly. Funny what a little winning will do.