Chicago Cubs: Jon Lester off to his best start in years this spring

A sometimes slow starter, Chicago Cubs left-hander Jon Lester is firing on all cylinders as he looks to rebound from a career-worst 2017 performance.

After a strong Opening Day tune-up outing Monday, Chicago Cubs veteran Jon Lester is off to his best start in a long, long time. The southpaw whiffed six Reds hitters in 6 2/3 innings of work, lowering his spring ERA to 2.81.

Last season was forgettable, to say the least. After finishing as the National League Cy Young runner-up in 2016, the lefty put together one of the worst seasons of his big-league career. He had a handful of outings in which he got absolutely shelled – which inflated his numbers to a degree. But Lester himself admits he wasn’t at his best in 2017.

But with a rested, reenergized defense behind him, he hopes to get back on track – and back to the World Series – this season.

“I love our defense,” Lester told MLB.com after his start. “It’s just a matter of us not allowing the ball to go over the fence.”

In years’ past, Lester has, at times, gotten off to a very slow start. As temperatures heated up, so did the two-time 19-game winner. By the time the postseason rolls around, you know exactly what you’re getting from him. A big-game pitcher with no fear.

What would a strong start to the season mean for Lester? Before we can answer that, let’s look back at some of his recent spring and early-season numbers.

From the word ‘go’, 2017 was a mixed bag

Last spring, Jon Lester struggled in a big way.

He made just three spring starts, spanning 11 innings in which opponents hung a dozen hits on the veteran. Lester struck out 10 and walked just one – but he struggled to keep guys from touching home plate (5.73 ERA).

As the calendar turned to April, the lefty made five starts and went winless – despite a respectable 3.68 ERA. More troubling, perhaps, was his 2.89 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.432 WHIP in his 29 1/3 innings of work.

On the whole, Lester managed a sub-4.00 ERA in just two of the six months of the regular season. Down the stretch, he faded badly, especially in August, where his WHIP climbed north of 1.700 – thanks mostly to a clunker in his final start of the month.

Lester failed to pitch out of the second inning, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits against Cincinnati. We all know the big-picture assessment of the season – but he, again, delivered in October.

Between the Division Series against Washington and League Championship Series against Los Angeles, the former Red Sox ace put up earned run averages of 1.86 and 1.93, respectively. Washington was baffled by the southpaw – who made one start and pitched out of the bullpen in the five-game series.

Little did we know: it marked the start of an era

When Jon Lester took the ball for the Chicago Cubs on Opening Night 2015, I felt the hype in Wrigleyville. To be honest, I’d never felt the ballpark that way. Joe Maddon managing his first game on the North Side, the rival Cardinals in town. Aside from the result (a St. Louis win) and the unfinished bleachers, it was a memorable experience.

But Lester had struggled in his first taste of Cactus League action the month prior. After training in Florida for his entire career with the Red Sox, he made the jump to Arizona after inking his deal with Chicago. And it was a bit of a ride, if we’re being honest.

He pitched just 8 1/3 innings that spring and opponents hit .333 against him. The young, unproven Cubs no doubt expected more. But Lester had gotten off to a slow start – not exactly something new for the veteran.

But as he settled in, things improved. After a horrendous April, he cruised through May. He struggled again in June, then turned it on for July. From August (5.04 ERA) to September (2.36 ERA), he cut his earned run average in half, helping lead Chicago to its first postseason appearance since 2008.

Dominant springs seem to mean more consistency

I thought about looking back at his years in Boston when writing this. But, then, I realized that Jon Lester is a very different pitcher than he was a decade ago.

At least during his time in a Cubs uniform, the numbers suggest that when he’s locked in during Spring Training, he’s likely to carry it into the regular season and put up consistently strong numbers. When he’s struggled, he’s ground through it, but has experienced more ups and downs than you’d like from your ace.

Next: Think Maddux when you're talking Darvish? Think again.

If his 2018 Cactus League performance is any indication, last year was an aberration and the Cubs might be the best rotation in baseball with a focused, recharged Jon Lester ready to lead the charge.