On Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs officially released their planned rotation for the first four games of the National League Division Series.
By nearly no surprise, Jon Lester will be taking the mound for Game One on Friday night.
If it wasn’t enough that Lester attained the second-best earned run average in baseball (2.44) – second only to teammate Kyle Hendricks (2.14) – he also established himself in the top ten of a wide variety of pitching categories including ninth in wins about replacement (5.3), fourth in wins (19), fifth in walks plus hits per inning (1.016), sixth in fewest hits per nine innings (6.839), and tied for ninth with two shutouts on the season.
But Lester’s accomplishments for this season aren’t the only things making him the prime candidate for Game One. He’s pitched in the postseason in six of the last nine years, a majority of which were with the Boston Red Sox, and has notched 16 games of experience.
Despite taking an even record (6-6) and suffering a few close losses, he has pitched extremely well in nearly every opportunity, compiling a 2.85 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 25 walks in 98 innings, stretching from the Wild Card to the World Series. His work in various Division Series is an even more impressive 2.06 ERA.
To his advantage, even without knowing his counterpart officially, is that he is nearly guaranteed not to face another ace come Friday, as both the San Francisco Giants‘ Madison Bumgarner and the New York Mets‘ Noah Syndergaard are being used to determine the Wild Card winner on Wednesday night.
Following Lester for the next three games will be the league’s leading ERA in Kyle Hendricks, last year’s NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta, and one of baseball’s best back-of-the-rotation starters, John Lackey (11-8, 3.35 ERA).
Regular starter Jason Hammel is currently omitted from the list as it stands, as he is still rehabilitating from the tightness in his right elbow that kept him from his final start of the regular season. He is currently working his way back in hopes of pitching in the postseason if the Cubs are able to buck the curse long enough to give him the chance.
Regardless of who the Cubs face, there’s no doubt they’ll have an uphill battle facing the best rotation in the major leagues.
Jonathan Powell is the Managing Editor of Outside Pitch MLB and the Milwaukee Brewers writer. Follow him on Twitter @jonathannashhh.
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