The Chicago Cubs wrapped up their first season series on Sunday with a 9-5 victory over the Texas Rangers, avoiding a sweep in Arlington.

Would we like to see better?

Yes.

Should we also be happy with one (almost two) of three against the reigning World Series champs?

Probably. For now, anyway.

With the series in the books, let’s discuss some of the finer points from the first three of 162 for the Chicago Cubs this season in something I’ll be doing here in the BN Newsletter the morning after every Cubs series wraps this season (except those days that fall on Saturday or Sunday, those will be held for the Monday edition): 10 Observations.

Jordan Wicks was much better than his line on Sunday

Wicks finished with a line of 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 R, 5 H, 6 K, 3 BB, and a no-decision. But let’s be honest: his defense did him no favors on Sunday, and his stuff was far better than the box score would indicate. Wicks registered 19 whiffs on 85 pitches against the Rangers on Sunday.

Aside from the evident three unearned runs, how much did the defense cost Wicks on Sunday? Only three balls hit into fair territory by Rangers hitters were considered hard-hit balls (via Statcast).

Wicks recorded 19 whiffs, and the average exit velocity on his three pitches that he threw more than fifteen times was 91.6 miles per hour or less.

Thankfully, the bullpen was solid behind Wicks, and the bats took advantage of a rough day at the office for the Rangers pitching staff.

Christopher Morel’s bat is going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting to justify him working through his lumps at third base

Craig Counsell said during the spring that getting Morel where he needs to be defensively at third base would be no small task, and that was on full display this weekend in Arlington.

Morel leaves Texas with only one error on the season, but he also whiffed on another line drive he should have had, leading to the Rangers scoring six runs against rookie Ben Brown on Saturday.

But Morel’s bat did do plenty of talking this weekend. He launched his first home run of the season and finished the series with three RBI, three runs, and a (smallest of sample sizes) 168 wRC+. He’s also slugging .714 through the first three games of the season.

But what about the rest of the defense?

Morel wasn’t the only cast member who had a shaky performance with the glove this weekend. Dansby Swanson's error on Sunday led to a three-run fourth inning for the Rangers. Seiya Suzuki lost a ball in the lights that was ruled a triple in the sixth inning. That triple didn’t turn into a big inning for the Rangers, but if we’re going to discuss defensive blunders, Morel wasn’t alone this weekend.

Justin Steele’s unfortunately timed injury (justly) calls into question the Cubs’ decision not to pursue more frontline starting pitching depth.

There’s no “right time” for your ace to suffer an injury that will sideline him for at least the first month of the season, but Opening Day is undoubtedly one of the worst times.

Steele’s prognosis has everyone—once again— questioning why the Cubs didn’t add more frontline depth to the rotation, especially when Jameson Taillon’s back was an apparent issue.

And let’s be clear when I say frontline depth—someone who could replace a frontline starter. The Cubs have starting pitching depth, but not the kind that can come up and eat innings in the ace spot for a month.

However, Jordan Montgomery was a free agent until about a week ago, and the Cubs could have had him for $25 million annually for the next two seasons (if he made the starts required to vest his 2025 option, which is 23 starts this season for the full $25 million option next season).

That’s the kind of thing that teams who are serious about winning do.

The Justin Steele injury really stings because he looked filthy before it happened

Coming off a breakout 2023 season, Justin Steele appeared to have picked up where he left off against one of the better offenses in baseball on Thursday night.

Steele had allowed one run on three hits, struck out six, and walked one hitter into the fifth inning. He had already picked up ten whiffs and lived in the zone with his four-seamer and slider.

The Cubs’ core relievers had a lovely weekend

Aside from Adbert Alzolay’s blown save on Thursday, the Cubs core relievers (Mark Leiter Jr., Julian Merryweather, Héctor Neris, and Alzolay) were solid in the three-game set with Texas.

Alzolay logged an excellent bounce-back performance on Sunday, including a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure Chicago’s first victory of the 2024 campaign. His slider looked good, and he notched a pair of strikeouts.

Those four relievers tossed nine innings this weekend, and Alzolay’s solo home run to Travis Jankowski, of all people, was the only run allowed. They combined for 11 strikeouts and just four walks.

Bullpens are volatile, and it’s early, but that’s a promising start for that group, especially considering the extra work they’ll have to do in Justin Steele’s absence this month.

Going out on a high note sets up the home opener on Monday

A four-run ninth inning was just what the doctor ordered for a team that was 3 for 18 with runners in scoring position entering that inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Ian Happ (more on him next) drove in the go-ahead run with a walk.

Then it was Seiya Suzuki’s turn, and he delivered a two-run single. Cody Bellinger capped the rally off with a single, and the Cubs’ offensive explosion in the ninth not only lifted them to a victory but should also serve as a confidence booster heading into today’s home opener against the Rockies.

Ian Happ had a heckuva day on Sunday

Happ’s ninth-inning walk drove in the go-ahead (and eventual game-winning) run. It was his fifth time reaching base on Sunday. Happ also recorded three singles and a double in the victory.

Happ finished the opening series with five hits, a run, two walks, and just one strikeout. Not too shabby.

Happ’s five hits this weekend are tied with Christopher Morel for the team lead after one series.

I like Ben Brown, even if Saturday was an outing to forget

Ben Brown would like to forget Saturday, I’m sure. He allowed six runs on Saturday but just as easily could have allowed none in two innings had he had more help from his defense. However, Brown’s four-seamer was hitting 97 mph and had good life to it. That’s a pitch that’ll play.

I wrote about Brown’s swing-and-miss stuff a bit this spring:

“According to Fangraphs, Brown’s four-seamer had a Stuff+ of 105, and his slider had a Stuff+ rating of 137. Stuff+ is weighted like wRC+, where 100 is the league average, higher is better, and lower is worse. If you’re unfamiliar with it, Stuff+ looks at a pitch's physical characteristics, including release point, velocity, vertical and horizontal movement, and spin rate.

“Even more impressive in Triple-A has been Brown’s less frequently used, but still one of his primary pitches, his sweeper. Brown’s sweeper (which he threw 93 times) has a Stuff+ rating of 172. That’s in the ballpark of double the league average rating. Nuts.

“The only thing holding Brown back right now is his ability to locate the nasty trio of pitches. Brown’s 94 and 95 Location+ on the four-seamer and slider are slightly below average, and his sweeper (102) is just a tick above league average.”

Let’s throw away Saturday and stay excited about the potential swing-and-miss stuff Brown brings.

It’s Shōta time!

Shōta Imanaga makes his major league debut at home today against the Rockies, and the Cubs offense comes to Wrigley with the momentum of a strong Sunday finish. Three games at home with the Rockies should be an excellent get-right series for the Cubs this week.

In four games, Colorado Rockies hitters have struck out 35 times (8.75 strikeouts per contest). That’s good news for Imanaga, who struck out 25 hitters in 12.2 innings this spring (17.76 K/9).