Chicago Cubs: Walks continue to plague the bullpen

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MILWAUKEE, WI – JULY 29: Carl Edwards Jr. /

After issuing four more on Saturday, the number of walks allowed by the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen is becoming an increasingly troubling problem.

The Chicago Cubs entered the 2017 season with a great collection of bullpen arms. Despite losing Aroldis Chapman to free agency, the Cubs aquired Wade Davis from the Kansas City Royals.

Davis joined a group headlined by young flamethrower Carl Edwards and more experienced relievers Pedro Strop and Koji Uehara.

Despite having an abundance of talent in the bullpen, a problem soon bubbled to the surface. In 78 1/3 innings pitched by the bullpen in the month of April, the pen issued 36 walks. To put that into perspective, in April 2016, the bullpen walked just 18 batters.

In the month of May and beyond, things did not get better for the Cubs’ bullpen. After walking 46 batters in 108 1/3 innings pitched in May, the bullpen issued another 35 free passes in June. Keeping with the theme, the bullpen set a season-high with 52 walks in 85 2/3 innings pitched in the month of July.

Five games into the month of August, the Cubs’ bullpen has already amassed eight walks, including four in Saturday’s win against the Washington Nationals.

While it is tough to identify the reason behind the influx in the amount of walks, we can see how the Cubs stack up against other teams in this category. Right now, the Cubs rank fourth in the majors with 173 free passes. Only the Brewers, Marlins and Reds have issued more walks this season.

CHICAGO, IL – JULY 25: Carl Edwards Jr. #6 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after striking out Jose Abreu #79 of the Chicago White Sox to end the sixth inning on July 25, 2017 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) /

Who is to blame for all the walks?

The answer to that question has multiple answers. Edwards has issued the most walks of any full-time Cubs reliever this season with 29. That number is staggering because the right-hander has only logged 44 innings this season.

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Looking at his 2016 season, one can see the right-hander is allowing an increased number of walks this season compared to last. In 36 innings pitched last season, Edwards allowed 14 walks and registered a 3.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio. This season, on the other hand, Edwards has issued 15 more walks than he did last season in just eight more innings. Even though the 25-year-old has struck out 63 batters, his strikeout-to-walk ratio sits at 2.17 because of the uptick in walks.

Besides Edwards, Justin Grimm, Wade Davis and Pedro Strop have 20, 19 and 18 walks -respectively.

Looking deeper into Grimm’s numbers, one can see he is having the same problem as Edwards. Just a year ago, Grimm walked 23 batters in 52 2/3 innings and recorded a 2.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio. This season, Grimm, as stated above, already has 20 walks in 40 innings pitched. For this reason, Grimm’s strikeout-to-walk ratio has dipped to 2.10.

Issues at the back end

In addition to Grimm and Edwards, Davis and Strop are also experiencing spikes in the number of walks issued. Davis, who walked just 16 batters in 43 1/3 innings pitched last season and 20 more in 67 1/3 innings a year prior, already has 19 walks this season.

As is the case with Davis, Strop has also surpassed his walk total from a year ago. In 47 1/3 innings pitched last season, Strop walked 15 batters and struck out another 60. In just 41 innings this season, Strop has issued 18 free passes and struck out just 46.

Despite the walks, the Cubs still have a solid bullpen

Even though the Cubs’ bullpen continues to walk an increased amount of batters, Chicago’s pen remains among the best in the league.

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Currently, the Cubs’ bullpen ranks fifth in the majors with a 3.33 ERA. In addition to that, the North Siders’ bullpen has allowed the sixth-fewest earned runs this season while holding opposing hitters to a .212 batting average.

As stated above, there is not a singular cause for the increased amount of walks. One possible explanation could be the tighter race in the NL Central. After running away with the division last season, the Cubs find themselves just a half game ahead of the Brewers entering Sunday. The increased pressure of a tight division race could be a reason for the lofty walk totals.

There is no doubt the increased number of walks is not a good sign for Cubs fans. Walks lead to more runners on base which tend to lead to more runs scored.

Making it work – for now

In the short-term, Chicago continues to work around the free passes. If the Cubs can get on another hot streak like they did in the first week after the All-Star break and put the division out of reach, we may see the walks subside. Unfavorable outcomes may come to fruition should the team not nip this in the bud.

As the season marches closer to October, this problem is getting more and more annoying. Let’s hope a solution is right around the corner because it may be the key to another World Series title.

Next: A fan's take on Baez and what he brings to the table

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