Chicago Cubs: Top five performances so far this season

Top five performers for the 2015 Chicago Cubs

It’s been an exciting year to be a Chicago Cubs’ fan. Memorial Day is upon us and Joe Maddon‘s club currently has a hold on one of the National League Wild Card berths, and finds itself just 3 1/2 games behind the first-place St. Louis Cardinals in the division.

What’s been the Cubs’ secret to success? They’ve been incredibly good (.600 winning percentage) against teams with a winning record and have put together some impressive extra-inning wins.

It’s been a mix of both new and old that has led the charge, with first baseman Anthony Rizzo emerging as a legitimate MVP candidate and left-handed ace Jon Lester finding his form in the month of May, heading a rotation that has been surprisingly sound through the first quarter of the 2015 season.

While the bullpen struggles and fielding miscues are well-documented by this point, it’s important to point out the things this young team is doing right, as well as those responsible for the club finding emerging from a half-decade rebuild.

Next: 5) A veteran backstop leading the charge

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Miguel Montero providing spark for Cubs

Last season, Welington Castillo struggled at the plate, while providing below-average work behind it – primarily in terms of pitch framing. So this winter, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer pulled the trigger on a deal to bring Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero to Chicago in exchange for a pair of low-level prospects after missing out on Russell Martin.

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The deal looked good right off the bat. The Cubs essentially ate the remaining three years and $40 million on Montero’s contract, while the Toronto Blue Jays gave up $80 million-plus to land Martin, the prized backstop on the market last winter.

Nearly two months into the season, that decision looks better than ever.

Montero carries a .267/.387/.455 batting line into Monday afternoon’s tilt at Wrigley against the Washington Nationals, to go along with five home runs and 16 runs batted in. He’s drawn 19 walks to 25 strikeouts, as he’s showcased an incredibly patient approach at the plate – especially in the month of May, when he’s increased his OBP from .333 to .429 (comparing April to May).

While the Cubs added him primarily for his work behind the plate, Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein felt that his bat, as well as his glove, would be assets for a young team in 2015 and beyond:

“But we felt in this environment he was a great change-of-scenery guy, a good pitch framer, a good defensive catcher who relates well to pitchers, and we felt he was a really good fit for what we were looking to do,” Hoyer told the Chicago Tribune.

Montero is one of the more underrated names in the Cubs lineup. Having a catcher who provides value on both sides of the ball is something this organization has lacked for quite some time and this year, everything changed.

Next: 4) An ace emerges in the month of May

Jon Lester pitching like an ace in May

After his first month in a Chicago Cubs uniform, Jon Lester made more than a few fans nervous with his performance. He was winless and had an earned run average north of 6.00. The former Red Sox lefty failed to pitch past the sixth and allowed at least three runs every time out. Needless to say, after signing a six-year, $155 million deal this winter, fans expected a bit more than this.

In May, however, the Lester of old has emerged. He’s pitched to a 1.85 ERA in five starts, picking up four wins in the process. His control has been more of an issue, but he’s overcome that so far, leading Chicago to wins over the Brewers, Mets, Pirates and Cardinals in the process.

It’s hard to quantify the impact Lester has in the Chicago clubhouse on a daily basis. The Cubs’ southpaw has shown a bulldog mentality that’s followed him to the Windy City from Boston, where losing in unacceptable and perfection is always the end goal.

One thing’s for sure: for the first time in years, Chicago has a bona fide ace.

Next: 3) A new face of the franchise in Chicago

Jake Arrieta shows he’s the real deal

Some thought last season was an aberration for Cubs’ right-hander Jake Arrieta, who put together the best season of his big league career in his first full season on the North Side of Chicago.

A month-and-a-half into the 2015 campaign, Arrieta has shown that he’s the real deal and his domination has been just as impressive as it was late last season. The former Baltimore Orioles prospect is tied for the team lead with four wins, and leads the staff in both strikeouts (62) and earned run average (2.95), despite a sub-par performance his last time out.

Still just 29 years old, Arrieta could easily help form a dominant one-two punch atop the Chicago rotation with Jon Lester for years to come – and that is a promising thought for Cubs fans who are so often reminded of the team’s lack of pitching depth in the minors.

Arrieta has pitched at least seven innings in four of his nine outings, and he’s struck out at least seven in half-a-dozen starts.

He’s been downright filthy at Wrigley Field – a trend that dates back to last season, as well – and if he can improve his work away from the Friendly Confines, he could emerge as a Cy Young candidate once again in 2015.

Next: 1) 25 years old and a future MVP

Apr 21, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) is greeted by manager Joe Maddon (R) after Rizzo scored a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Rizzo now a force, leader

At just 25 years old, Chicago Cubs’ first baseman Anthony Rizzo is now the clubhouse leader and a legitimate MVP candidate. No pressure, right?

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If there’s anyone who can handle the weight of a city starved for a World Series title and a fan base whose expectations haven’t been this high in over a decade, it’s Rizzo, who has overcome cancer, early career struggles and more in a still-blossoming big league career.

Two years ago, the biggest critique of Anthony Rizzo was his inability to hit left-handed pitching. He batted just .189/.282/.342 against southpaws, and was regularly benched toward the end of the season in favor of other options. That offseason, he attacked what was regularly called his biggest weakness, and changed the course of his career forever.

Last year, he improved that line to .300/.421/.507 – which was actually better than his slash-line against right-handed pitching. He hit eight of his 32 homers against lefties, and showed that he was willing to shorten his stroke to address this weakness.

In 2015, it’s been much of the same for the MVP candidate, who boasts an unthinkable 1.263 OPS against lefties. His power still comes when he faces right-handers, but it’s clear that what was once considered a glaring hole in his game is no more.

Leading the team with nine home runs and 29 runs batted in, not to mention the 11 doubles or career-high nine stolen bases, Anthony Rizzo is clearly taking his game to a new level, playing for a winner for the first time in his career.

Could the Cubs make the playoffs behind its first MVP since Sammy Sosa back in 1998?

Next: Dbacks sink Cubs with three-run third inning