Chicago Cubs (67-49) vs Blue Jays (69-50) (August 12th-August 14th)

[Boogie!]

Let’s get that up to 900 for the season… just needs a couple more extra base hits and homers… vladdy contact has been great, again it’s just the expectations are so high with him and we need him to hit for more power. Also, we can’t act like him being average isn’t the norm… he’s only had 2 great seasons scattered between 4 average ones so the vlad worry is legitimate. But he’s having a good season so far, again just wish he’d hit for more power and stop pounding balls into the ground.

[Tripod]

Let’s get that up to 900 for the season… just needs a couple more extra base hits and homers… vladdy contact has been great, again it’s just the expectations are so high with him and we need him to hit for more power. Also, we can’t act like him being average isn’t the norm… he’s only had 2 great seasons scattered between 4 average ones so the vlad worry is legitimate. But he’s having a good season so far, again just wish he’d hit for more power and stop pounding balls into the ground.

Yeah the hard swing to top the ball just in front of the plate leading to a bouncer to the SS happens way too much.

[Parataxis]

Also, we can’t act like him being average isn’t the norm… he’s only had 2 great seasons scattered between 4 average ones so the vlad worry is legitimate. But he’s having a good season so far, again just wish he’d hit for more power and stop pounding balls into the ground.

Has Vlad *ever* had an 'average' season?

Aside from his rookie year, he's never had an OPS+ lower than 115 (which puts him 15% ABOVE average). If you exclude the COVID year and 2023, he's always been at least 33% better at the plate than an average player.

It's not that Vlad's been average, it's that he hasn't been meeting his superstar expectations. Those aren't the same thing.

[Boogie!]

Also, we can’t act like him being average isn’t the norm… he’s only had 2 great seasons scattered between 4 average ones so the vlad worry is legitimate. But he’s having a good season so far, again just wish he’d hit for more power and stop pounding balls into the ground.

Has Vlad *ever* had an 'average' season?

Aside from his rookie year, he's never had an OPS+ lower than 115 (which puts him 15% ABOVE average). If you exclude the COVID year and 2023, he's always been at least 33% better at the plate than an average player.

It's not that Vlad's been average, it's that he hasn't been meeting his superstar expectations. Those aren't the same thing.

Okay. Maybe the wording wasn’t technically correct, but yes this is the issue. He’s expected to perform like a star and he hasn’t for most of his career. And he was given a superstar contract. Again he was called a generational hitting talent and we’ve only really seen it for 2 seasons out of 6.

[Mehar]

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You know, Schneider is living right when Ernie Clement saves him from looking like a fool.

This manager was going to surrender an out with 2 men on - with 0 outs - in the 4th inning - all in the hopes that the 2nd out might produce a single run?! And just decided in advance to give up on scoring France from 1st.

Is he trying to slowly kill the inning? You’re playing for a single run (with 2 on and 0 outs) and more than half the game left to play?

Schneider must really think 1. that Clement sucks and 2. that a 2-run lead is enough for Berrios.

Comical to have read this. I had no idea that Schneider was calling for a Bunt. You are right to say that Clement saved him from looking like a fool. No reason to surrender an Out with 2 Men on in that situation. I would understand Bunting in that situation if it was the 10th Inning, and scoring one run would result in a victory. No reason for Clement to bunt otherwise. Thankfully Ernie hit one out of the park instead.

[Randle McMurphy]

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Remember some here wanted him traded or benched a week and a half ago before his return from the IL.

[Mehar]

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?s=46&t=0YpMScWXY2zRUqR8fH-usg

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Remember some here wanted him traded or benched a week and a half ago before his return from the IL.

You complained about Joey Loperfido's small sample size before he got injured. That sample Size was 4 weeks of July where he was hitting .396 for the month over 53 AT Bats. But you seemed dismissive of that. Varsho on the other hand has three great hitting games out of his 8 games he has played in since he has come back after his injury, and you want to celebrate like he is prime Mike Trout.

Varsho had a good two and a half weeks in the beginning of the year also, where he was mashing before he fell off dramatically. I need more than a three or four game sample, before we jump up and down for your hero. However, if Varsho discovered something with his stance and continues to hit like this until the end of the year- then we can say this guy is the real deal. 3 great hitting games is not a reason to celebrate. Same reason I am not convinced about Ty France who has sucked the past two years and was released twice in 2024.

[Raps in 4]

Let’s get that up to 900 for the season… just needs a couple more extra base hits and homers… vladdy contact has been great, again it’s just the expectations are so high with him and we need him to hit for more power. Also, we can’t act like him being average isn’t the norm… he’s only had 2 great seasons scattered between 4 average ones so the vlad worry is legitimate. But he’s having a good season so far, again just wish he’d hit for more power and stop pounding balls into the ground.

If he can be a 5-6+ fWAR player every season of his prime, his contract doesn't look so terrible anymore.

[Potential]

Springer cleared

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[Randle McMurphy]

Springer cleared

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Looking like Loperfido is getting sent down sooner than expected then.

[vaff87]

Here’s where Vladdy ranks in some offensive stats since the start of each season of his career:

wRC+
2019 - 10th
2020 - 9th
2021 - 9th
2022 - 11th
2023 - 9th
2024 - 4th
2025 - 6th

wOBA
2019 - 12th
2020 - 9th
2021 - 9th
2022 - 12th
2023 - 12th
2024 - 5th
2025 - T-6th

Hits
2019 - 3rd
2020 - 3rd
2021 - 2nd
2022 - 3rd
2023 - 4th
2024 - 3rd
2025 - T-5th

HR
2019 - 11th
2020 - 9th
2021 - 7th
2022 - T-18th
2023 - T-22nd
2024 - T-21st
2025 - T-42nd

AVG
2019 - T-13th
2020 - T-7th
2021 - T-5th
2022 - T-10th
2023 - 9th
2024 - 2nd
2025 - 8th

OBP
2019 - T-13th
2020 - 10th
2021 - 8th
2022 - 10th
2023 - 9th
2024 - 3rd
2025 - 2nd

OPS
2019 - 16th
2020 - 10th
2021 - 9th
2022 - 14th
2023 - 14th
2024 - T-5th
2025 - T-9th

Doubles
2019 - 8th
2020 - 5th
2021 - 7th
2022 - T-5th
2023 - 4th
2024 - 3rd
2025 - T-12th

RBI
2019 - 12th
2020 - 8th
2021 - 8th
2022 - 10th
2023 - 15th
2024 - 18th
2025 - T-46th

Runs
2019 - 16th
2020 - 10th
2021 - 10th
2022 - 13th
2023 - 15th
2024 - 12th
2025 - 7th

Walks
2019 - 14th
2020 - 11th
2021 - T-9th
2022 - 11th
2023 - 10th
2024 - T-9th
2025 - T-10th

BB/K
2019 - 23rd
2020 - 18th
2021 - 15th
2022 - T-14th
2023 - 9th
2024 - 6th
2025 - T-4th

Hard Hit Balls
2019 - 1st
2020 - 1st
2021 - 1st
2022 - 1st
2023 - 1st
2024 - 1st
2025 - 4th

Barrels
2019 - 7th
2020 - 5th
2021 - 4th
2022 - 6th
2023 - 7th
2024 - 6th
2025 - T-10th

[Mehar]

Springer cleared

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Great sign. He will most likely be available for the next road series in Pittsburgh.

[JN]

I hope these dumbasses open the roof for this one. Was sunny as I drove, parked and walked in, and no rain is forecasted as far as I can tell.

[JN]

Remember when we started the year with Andrea Gimenez as our cleanup hitter.

Things have certainly turned for the better.

Now open the roof dumbasses.

[WuTang_CMB]

Gotta shake horton early

[Randle McMurphy]

I hope these dumbasses open the roof for this one. Was sunny as I drove, parked and walked in, and no rain is forecasted as far as I can tell.

Was raining at 6:50 as I walked around the city.

[Randle McMurphy]

It’s time for Varsho to take his rightful spot at the top of the order again. Lukes isn’t on his level.

[vaff87]

It’s time for Varsho to take his rightful spot at the top of the order again. Lukes isn’t on his level.

Don’t think I want a guy with a sub-.300 OBP hitting leadoff.

[JN]

I hope these dumbasses open the roof for this one. Was sunny as I drove, parked and walked in, and no rain is forecasted as far as I can tell.

Was raining at 6:50 as I walked around the city.

I got in the stadium at 630 or so .. must have just started aftet I came I .

[Randle McMurphy]

Cubs are getting the bad luck so far today, they’re just crushing these pitches