It would be easy to look at the Cubs offense with names like Kris Bryant, Javy Báez and Anthony Rizzo and think that would be their calling card. Yes, the Cubs have shown they can still be dangerous at the plate, they’re starting to turn heads with their defense.
Whether it’s a flashy play on a slow roller or a catch and collision at the wall, the Cubs defense have been in the habit of turning balls in play into outs. Both players and manager David Ross have attributed that success to bench/infield coach Andy Green and first/outfield base Will Venable.
Ross, who was a defense-first catcher, is pleased with his team’s commitment on the defensive end this season and knows that hard work will continue to show up when it matters for the Cubs, even if it’s not what people recognize right away.
“I don’t know that defense ever gets enough credit,” Ross said. No matter what sport it is. You think about homers and offense and pitching, but pitching and defense go hand in hand. I think that just as a category, it’s hard to value in general. Then, you know, we want to put a number on everything these days and sometimes it’s just about guys instinctually moving.
“If you watch Javy out there, sometimes as much as we play In areas, he knows that this guy is going to pull the ball off Kyle Hendricks, because he’s been playing behind Hendricks for multiple years and knows where most of the right handed hitters hit off Kyle when they roll over a changeup or two seamer away.
Through 14 games, the Cubs rank second in the National League and fourth in MLB with nine defensive runs saved as a team, according to FanGraphs. They also have just one unearned run allowed on the year. A few adjustments in the team’s defensive positioning have also been an added benefit during the Cubs stretch of solid defense.
“The positioning has been a little different. We’ve been making adjustments that we didn’t make in the past. Obviously, Butter [former infield coach Brian Butterfield] was great for us. We obviously want to learn from every person and coach that we have. It’s been really hard just because the summer camp was so short, but we’re trying to get everything together and work hard during BP.”
Schwarber out with bruised knee
Left fielder Kyle Schwarber was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup due to a right knee contusion. Schwarber was hit in the knee during the sixth inning of Tuesday’s 7-1 win over the Indians.
“I don’t want to push that,” Ross said. “You start messing with a bruised knee – that got him in a pretty good spot, that ball that hit him. … You just don’t want to create a lot of bad habits with swinging and get it into your legs and being tender or gentle within your legs and hitting us just can create a lot of bad habits really fast. And he’s been having some of our best at-bats.”
