With baseball still on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, classic Cubs playoff games have been getting a lot of air time. Watching the 2016 World Series run has got me thinking about the Cubs’ impressive stretch of success under Theo Epstein and company. A huge part of that was the pitching triumvirate of Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, and Kyle Hendricks, the latter of whom isn’t often viewed with the same reverence as the others.
While the Professor’s calm demeanor and sub-90’s fastball don’t draw as many eyes as Lester’s big “dugout” energy or Arrieta’s nasty slutter, I’d argue he has actually been the Cubs’ best pitcher since debuting in 2014.