I said I was going to take a short break unless something important came up, which this is not. It is, however, something I found interesting enough to put a pin in for later. Twitter user David Kep drew my attention to a thread from Matthew Knauer of Daily Bruin Sports, who highlighted two potential unlocks for reliever Jacob Webb back when he was non-tendered by the Rangers. And wouldn’t you know it, both are hallmarks of the Cubs’ pitching infrastructure.
Webb has thrived in spite of his pedestrian fastball velocity, mainly because he pairs exceptional ride with a what Knauer calls a “lifty” changeup.