What the Chicago Cubs need from each starting pitcher in the second half

We can finally begin to look past the Chicago Cubs’ struggles at the end of the first half of the season.  The second half is underway, and with it comes new expectations.

After a blistering start to the season, the Cubs slowed down considerably heading into the All-Star break.  A big part of that slump can be attributed to shaky starting pitching.  At one point, every Cubs’ starter had their ERA under three.  But that was never going to last.

With each player fresh off of five days rest, here’s what the Chicago Cubs need from each of their starters to get back to being the team they were in the first two months of the season.

Next: The Professor

What can I say?  The Professor has been fantastic. Kyle Hendricks has quietly been one of the most productive pitchers in all of baseball. He managed to finish the first half with a 7-6 record and an impressive 2.55 ERA. You really can’t ask for much more than that, especially given that he’s the five-man in this rotation.

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Consistency has been the key for Hendricks.  He’s about the only one that hasn’t contributed the Cubs’ recent woes. I’ve seen it all over social media; fans feel the most comfortable when Kyle Hendricks is on the mound.  I’d have to agree with them.

That’s saying something when you’re pitching in the same rotation as reigning Cy Young award winner, Jake Arrieta, and former World Series champion, Jon Lester.

There really isn’t anything Hendricks needs to do differently in the second half. Don’t be shocked if he makes some slight regression as far as ERA goes. If he keeps it up, Hendricks will continue to provide a huge boost to the Chicago Cubs out of the fifth rotation spot.

Next: Cowboy

When the Cubs acquired John Lackey in the offseason, they got the tough-nosed, experienced starter they so desperately needed during last year’s playoffs.

For a good portion of the first half, he was just that. Fiery as ever, Lackey proved to be solid and efficient, posting a 7-5 record and a 3.70 ERA.  But, like most of his teammates, Lackey had his rough stretches.

Lackey’s outings started to get pretty ugly during the last month. As he said earlier in the season, he’s not here to fool anyone. From the get-go, his plan was to pound the strike zone and make hitters beat him. For a good while, he did just that.  But then things started to tail off for him.

Home runs started becoming a problem for Lackey. Lately it seemed as if he was just putting his fastballs on a tee for opposing hitters. Lackey’s big issue has been his command. If he can get it back, he should return to being the reliable veteran that he was early on this year.

Next: Mr. First Half

Jason Hammel began the year as one of the best pitchers in the NL, flying way under the radar.  Hammel finished the first half with a 7-5 record and a 3.46 ERA. Those are good numbers, but they seem less impressive when you consider where he was.

Hammel kept his ERA in the low two’s for the majority of the season, but then things got…well…pretty bad. Remember how he pitched after his hamstring injury last year? Because that’s how he’s looked lately.

In his last two starts, Hammel gave up 12 earned runs in nine innings pitched. Now, an ERA in the low two’s is simply unrealistic for Hammel. It’s just not him. That said, he will need to start going deeper into games. Like Lackey, command has been Hammel’s biggest issue. When it’s off, it’s way off.

I think Hammel will find his stride again, but I’ve been wrong before. Hammel can be a very effective pitcher when his command is on.  Look for him to find it in the second half.

Next: Can't throw to first, don't care

Here’s where we find out if Jake Arrieta‘s historic second half of 2015 was a flash in the pan, or if he’s truly the real deal. Will he get back to being the league’s most dominant ace, or is Chicago stuck with Baltimore Jake?

Arrieta has pitched to the tune of a 12-4 record and a 2.68 ERA. Don’t get me wrong, that’s good. Really good. But the trend lately has been somewhat concerning. Something is just off.

One thing I’ve noticed is that his monster 12-6 curve hasn’t been nearly as effective as it was last year. Batters just aren’t swinging at it, and as a result, they’re walking an awful lot. Here’s the difference; last year Arrieta controlled it so well that he could scrape the bottom of the zone with it. So, swing or not, he was going to make it a strike. Pretty soon batters didn’t have a choice, they had to try and hit it. That’s when Arrieta made hitters look foolish.

His slider also seems to be missing some of its bite. Whether this is a mechanical issue, or whether he’s dealing with some sort of minor injury, I don’t know. But the Cubs desperately need him to get the ball rolling again. He’s the most important pitcher in the rotation.

It got to a point last season where I felt confident that the Cubs would not only win on Jake Arrieta day but do so giving up no more than a single run. Obviously, that’s too much to expect out of anyone, but four runs in five innings pitched just isn’t going to cut it. Not if the Cubs want to make a serious run in October.

Arrieta opted not to pitch in the All-Star game, and he won’t be making his first start of the second half until the 19th. With extended rest, Arrieta should be fresh and ready to reclaim his reputation as the best pitcher in baseball.