The Cubs enter 2016 with a lot of buzz around them, but who will throw the first pitch of the new campaign?
Chicago has an amazing rotation as it added John Lackey this offseason to a unit that is already spearheaded by the 1-2 punch of 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester.
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The Cubs aren't bad elsewhere on the diamond, either. They boast a highly talented young infield and added Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist to their stacked lineup before swooping in and retaining Dexter Fowler before the Orioles could sign him.
After a tremendous 2015 that saw Chicago's youth sprout a year earlier than expected -- to the tune of an appearance in the NLCS -- the sky's the limit this season. It's logical that Arrieta or Lester will toe the rubber on April 4 against the Angels in Anaheim, but Arrieta makes the most sense.
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Arrieta is coming in off of a season where he led the majors in wins (22), opponent average allowed (.185), complete games (4, tied) and shutouts (3, tied). He was also second in the MLB with a 0.86 WHIP, while ranking second in the NL with a 1.77 ERA and third with 236 strikeouts.
The right-hander also won the NL Wild Card Game to help spring the Cubs into their magical postseason run.
There's no arguing against Lester's effectiveness, but the southpaw had more losses (12) than wins (11), while pitching to a 3.34 ERA last season. Lester also went winless during the postseason.
The Cubs may have Lester listed as their top starter on their official depth chart, but it's quite clear Arrieta is their ace and should man the mound on Opening Day.
Here is a breakdown of how Arrieta and Lester have fared, which should make it fairly obvious which one should toe the rubber come Opening Day:
|
Stat |
Jake Arrieta |
Jon Lester |
|
2015 record |
22-6 |
11-12 |
|
2015 ERA |
1.77 |
3.34 |
|
2015 Strikeouts |
236 |
207 |
|
Career vs. Angels |
0-1, 7.47 ERA |
4-4, 3.93 ERA |
|
Salary |
1 year, $10.7 million |
6-years, $155 million |
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