I’m trying to reintegrate meditation into my routine because it has proven to be very effective for me. However, I struggle to find the ideal time of day to practice and to maintain a consistent habit.
Every year, I have to remind myself that Spring Training performances are not reliable for evaluation purposes. While they may serve as a tiebreaker or offer some insight on the fringe cases, they should not be heavily relied upon. These games have small sample sizes, involve players who may or may not be major leaguers, and the participants may not be fully invested in achieving specific outcomes.
Cubs President Jed Hoyer, via The Athletic, emphasizes that Spring Training is not the ideal environment for evaluation. Pitchers are not strategically targeting opponents’ weaknesses, and hitters are often working on specific aspects of their game. Therefore, making judgments based on who looks good or bad during Spring Training can lead to poor decision-making.
If Mark Leiter Jr. hadn’t lost his splitter late last year, I would be extremely excited to have him back in the Cubs’ bullpen this season. He was impressive until that point. Interestingly, the splitter has made a comeback this spring, and he has performed exceptionally well. However, I remain cautious because we have seen him struggle without the splitter in the past. If he can maintain its effectiveness, he has the potential to have a great year.
It is a common occurrence with relievers that their performance is subject to uncertainty. The current group of relievers on the Cubs’ roster has the potential to be outstanding, but it relies on various factors. For Leiter, it’s the splitter. For Merryweather, it’s maintaining good health. For Alzolay, it’s success against left-handed hitters. For Neris, it’s avoiding a decline in performance. For Almonte, it’s bouncing back. With Cuas, it’s the effectiveness of his pitch repertoire. Little and Palencia need to be ready when called upon. Additionally, there are several interesting non-roster invitees to consider. While there is potential for a strong bullpen, the inherent variability of the role means that there is no certainty. It is likely that some relievers will excel, some will struggle, and some may face injuries. This range of outcomes represents the typical distribution of results.
On a related note, I would like to explore the topic of splitters further, as I previously mentioned that it could be a significant aspect of this year’s baseball season. However, for now, I wanted to share this information as it is an engaging read.
Imagine the surprise when you discover that someone from the legendary 1998 Home Run Race is seen wearing Cubs gear during Cubs Spring Training. However, it turns out that it’s not the most well-known participant of that race but rather another individual involved in the competition.
To potentially reverse the current trend of starting pitchers being pulled early, one possible solution would be to introduce incentives that make it beneficial to keep them in the game for longer periods, counteracting the perceived penalty of facing the batting order for the third time. An example of such an incentive could be implementing a rule like the DOUBLE HOOK RULE, which would provide a value or benefit equivalent to or greater than the penalty associated with the third time through the order.
