The Cubs’ incompetence with runners in scoring position has been a consistent theme dating back to 2017. The issue prompted the team to dump John Malle in favor of Chili Davis, a hitting coach known for a philosophy perceived as contrarian to today’s popular exit velocity and launch angle trends. Davis was ultimately fired a year later and the Cubs continue to search for answers.
Even the most productive Cubs hitters of this era have fallen short over the last couple of years with runners in scoring position. Expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) — a number that reflects the degree of quality contact — validates most of our frustrations with runners in scoring position (RISP).