Jon Lester is Chicago Cubs’ X-Factor in 2016 Season
For the first time in over a decade, the Chicago Cubs enter a season with the expectation that their long World Series drought will finally end. In order for the 107-year drought to come to an end, Jon Lester will have to be on top of his game all season long.
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Lester was the Cubs’ first big signing following a long, tedious rebuilding phase. Six years and $155 million later, the team had gained legitimacy. They followed that legitimacy up by winning 97 games in 2015 and reaching the NLCS. However, Lester wasn’t consistently sharp last season.
The lefty went 11-12 with a 3.34 ERA a year ago, and he performed much better at the end of the season. In 2016, the Cubs will need him to be much more consistent, though.
There’s no chance ace Jake Arrieta will be able to duplicate his record-setting performance from a year ago, so Lester will have to pick up some of that slack. He’s capable of pitching like an ace himself and he needs to show that this season.
Sure, other young players who broke out in 2015 will be key to the Cubs’ success going forward, but a few of them can have a tough time and Chicago can still succeed. However, without consistent production from Lester, the Cubs will struggle when it matters most: in the playoffs.
A lack of pitching depth was apparent in the NLCS last year and that helped the team to a sweep at the hands of the New York Mets. The signing of John Lackey will help that depth, but in the playoffs, the team needs at least two dominant starting pitchers to assure success.
He makes the most money in the rotation and it’s time for him to start pitching like it. Lester had a very good year last year, but the Cubs may need him to be great in order to do something they haven’t done in over a century.