Chicago Cubs: Jon Lester’s leadership is built on success and hardships

We’ve seen it all, good and bad

The Chicago Cubs have seen just about everything they could see from Jon Lester. In just two years, we have witnessed the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes from such an immense talent.

In his first year as a Cub, Lester looked like a guy who was struggling to live up to the contract he signed. Finishing with a modest 11-12 record, Lester actually improved as the year went on. By the time the playoffs started, we started to see the player we wanted from day one.

If you ask someone outside of Chicago to sum up Jon Lester, you will most likely hear that he can’t throw to first base. During the postseason, it became painfully obvious that Lester’s Achilles heel would be a team that could run.

But, just as he did in the past, Lester didn’t allow the challenge to define or defeat him. Instead, the Cubs used the aggressiveness of their opponents to make them think twice about running on Lester.

2016 was a totally different story. Lester went 19-5 which tied for the most wins he had in a season since his first All-Star season with the Red Sox in 2010. In addition to the high watermark in wins, Lester finished second in Cy Young voting, which is the closest he has come to winning it.

Jon Lester was an absolute workhorse in the playoffs. Putting together a string of gutsy performances helped get the Cubs to their first World Series since 1945. He was awarded Most Valuable Player during the NLCS along with infielder Javier Baez.

Heading into 2017, Lester is hoping to build on the success he found in 2016. Now, with Willson Contreras as his catcher, the next challenge is at his doorstep.