The Cubs’ bullpen has caught a lot of flack for missing the strike zone, but making matters even worse is the inability to miss bats. Their MLB-leading 6.71 BB/9 mark — The Twins are second at 6.20 and the Cardinals third at 5.40 — would be at infinitely more palatable if there were more whiffs to go with it. And I’m not just talking about strikeouts, which the Cubs have done a fair job of racking up.
No, this is a matter of avoiding contact of any kind to get swings and misses. And in that regard Joe Maddon’s relievers are among the worst in baseball.