Chicago Cubs: Is Marcus Stroman the next ace for the Cubs?

After a tenure in New York fraught with social media run-ins with Mets fans, Marcus Stroman signed a three-year, $71 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

He pitched well in 2021, ending the season with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.145 WHIP in 179 innings. He also tied for the MLB lead in starts with 33.

This is a different Chicago Cubs than the one that won the World Series just six short seasons ago. The Cubs ended the 2021 season with a record 71-91. They are not projected to win the division this season, but the Cubs are stacked with prospects after going through a fire sale at last year’s trade deadline.

Along with infielders Jonathan Villar and Andrelton Simmons, pitchers Drew Smyly, Daniel Norris, Chris Martin, and David Robertson, the team signed Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki, the organization’s most significant acquisition in years.

The Chicago Cubs will still do damage in the Central Division for sure. However, this year might be Marcus Stroman’s moment.

Stroman relies on six pitches: Sinker, Slider, Split Finger, Cutter, 4-Seam Fastball, and Curveball. Of these pitches, he relies more on his nasty sinker and slider. He is using these pitches a combined 65.1% of the time.

His fastball is all over the place, with problems finding the strike zone and an average velocity of 92.4 mph. However, he has much more control over the sinker and slider. His most used pitch has a batting average of .294 for batters in 2021. His slider is most efficient, with a batting average of .184.

What makes Marcus Stroman interesting this year is that he will pitch in the same starting rotation as Kyle Hendricks, another off-speed pitcher who is also sinker-heavy. Hendricks was not as dominant in 2021 as he was in 2020, but he is a workhorse.

Last season, he pitched 181 innings with a 4.77 ERA, 131 strikeouts, and a 1.35 WHIP. He was one start shy of Stroman’s mark in starts with 32. Hendricks and Stroman can feed off each other. These pitchers can be a one-two punch in the rotation.

Stroman’s numbers in spring were OK, with a 4.50 ERA, seven strikeouts, and a 1.250 WHIP in 8 innings pitched. The 2019 All-Star can start right in his first start by getting ahead of the Brewers. Milwaukee was hitting .185 behind the count and .199 on-base percentage.

The Cubs might have another ace in their rotation with Marcus Stroman’s durability, confidence, and swagger. Chicago may be a contender sooner than later.

Marcus Stroman’s first start of the season is scheduled for game 3 of a 4-game series against the Brewers in Wrigley Field.