👋 Good morning!

We need a complete overhaul of officiating and replay review in sports.

Look at last night’s Thunder-Timberwolves game: After a ball was hurled out of bounds and caught by a fan near the sideline, officials put 0.3 seconds on the clock despite the fan making contact (legally & out of bounds) at 0.6.

Clear as day on replay, yet not reviewed. Big enough difference to change the outcome? Probably not, but it’s the principle. And an explanation on the decision from the officials would’ve been nice, too.

We got a taste of baseball’s Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) in spring training but had it stripped away for the regular season. Why? Why willingly choose an unchecked and less accurate strike zone?

Now we’ve reached this strange point where the simplest of OK rulings is met with a “kudos” to an umpire and an egregious miss is forgotten moments later.

“That’s actually a great call from the ref there.” Congratulations to them for doing their job. They should try it more often.

– Patrick Norton

Party Like It’s 2016?

The Cubs are 12 games over .500 before June for the first time since 2016. Is that a wonky, bogus stat stretched to fit a narrative, or do the North Siders have something brewing?

• The 2016 Cubs were last exactly 12 games above .500 on May 2 of that season, never dipping below the mark again. And 54 games into the season, that team was 39-15, double the games over .500.
   

• What’s comparable? The contact and the power. The 2016 team slashed .263/.352/.444 in the regular season (excluding pitchers) and scored 4.99 runs per game, whereas this year’s ballclub is slashing .263/.336/.455 and scoring 6.00 runs/game one-third of the way through their schedule.
   

  Most notably, the 2016 Cubs had just three batters eclipse 20 home runs, while the Cubs currently have four batters on pace to slug 30 or more.
   

• What isn’t? The pitching staff. Benefitting from two finalists for the 2016 Cy Young Award, plus the previous year’s award winner, Cubs starters combined for a 2.96 ERA, while the bullpen owned a 3.56 ERA.
   
  The 2025 Cubs pitching staff? A 4.05 ERA from the starters and a 4.01 ERA from the bullpen. Sure would be nice to have Shota Imanaga (and Justin Steele) back in the fold.

What else did that 2016 team have? The National League’s most valuable player, Kris Bryant. While Pete Crow-Armstrong has at least put himself in the NL MVP conversation through 54 games, it’ll still be an uphill battle to steal one from Shohei Ohtani.

I’ll put a poll question at the bottom of the newsletter because I’d love to hear your thoughts:

The 2025 Cubs are on pace to finish 99-63. The 2016 Cubs finished 103-58. Would a team made up of 2025’s lineup (defense included) and 2016’s pitching staff win more than 103 games in the regular season?

I’m pretty sure the answer is yes. Maybe the better question is: how many more wins?

GO DEEPER: The CHGO Cubs Podcast on the Cubs’ special start to 2025.

🚨 Next Week 🚨

Quick Hits

GOLDEN COUNTRY: Congratulations to Blackhawks Frank Nazar and Alex Vlasic, who propelled Team USA to gold in the IIHF World Championship in overtime against Switzerland. Nazar led the Americans in goals (6) and points (12) in the tournament despite not appearing on any of the squad's special teams units.

CHICAGO CARWASH: The Blackhawks will introduce new head coach Jeff Blashill during a press conference later today. Blashill, 51, was officially hired by the club last Thursday. The former Detroit Red Wings head coach is also expected to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field tonight ahead of the Cubs-Rockies game at 7:05.

HOUSE CALL: Is Adrian Houser the best story not being talked about enough? After signing with the team last Tuesday afternoon, the former Mets and Brewers starter tossed six scoreless innings later that night. Yesterday, in his second start with the ballclub, Houser threw another six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out seven.

Houser, 32, appeared in action for minor league affiliates of the Cubs and Baltimore Orioles after being DFA’d by the Mets last July and spent the first few weeks of this season with the Texas Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate, where he posted a 5.03 ERA in 39.1 IP. Given new life, Houser’s suddenly become a nifty potential trade chip for the White Sox if he can possibly continue this mini-stretch of dominance.

WHO COULD’VE SEEN THIS COMING: I don’t think anybody quite understood why the White Sox sent both of their native first basemen, Tim Elko and Andrew Vaughn, to Triple-A Charlotte on Friday without a proper substitute at the major league level.

Sure enough, on quite possibly the most mind-numbing error I’ve ever seen a first baseman make, substitute 1B Lenyn Sosa set up to receive a throw about 18 inches off the bag, allowing Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka to reach in the ninth inning. Higashioka’s run, which later scored on a double, would prove to be the difference on Sunday afternoon. Shocking.

INJURY UPDATES: LHP Shota Imanaga will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday as part of his rehabilitation from his hamstring strain. RHP Porter Hodge is “not progressing” in his treatment for an oblique strain and will undergo further testing to make sure there isn’t a significant issue. Catcher Miguel Amaya, also dealing with an oblique strain, will have imaging done today to determine the severity of his injury.

HOLLYWOOD 🤝 WRIGLEY: Nothing like a warm springtime day baseball game in Chicago. Just ask Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), Austin Butler (Elvis), David Harbour (Thunderbolts*), and Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), who took in Monday’s Cubs-Rockies game from the front row between home plate and the Cubs’ dugout.

Great moments are born from great opportunity.

Today!

📺 CHGO Bears
12:00 on YouTube

📺 CHGO Fire
1:45 on YouTube

📺 CHGO Blackhawks
2:00 on YouTube

📺 CHGO Stars
2:30 on YouTube

📺 CHGO Bulls
4:00 on YouTube

⚾️ White Sox @ Mets
6:10 on CHSN

⚾️ Cubs vs. Rockies
7:05 on Marquee

📺 CHGO White Sox
POSTGAME on YouTube

📺 CHGO Cubs
POSTGAME on CHGO Cubs YT

Talk to you tomorrow!