Chicago Cubs: Jon Lester is the club ace through and through

Chicago Cubs: Showing up when it counts the most

A significant benefit when the Chicago Cubs signed Jon Lester was his already established postseason experience. By the time Lester joined the Cubs, he had already pitched in 14 postseason games, 12 of them starts. On the surface, it may not have seemed like much, but this was vital to establishing his footing with a new team as “the guy.”

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Lester has started 21 total postseason games in his career. In that time he has compiled an unbelievable 2.55 ERA. In the past two seasons for the Cubs in the postseason, Lester has nearly been untouchable.

During the 2016 World Series run, Lester pitched in six games, starting five of them. He finished with a ridiculously low 2.02 ERA, with a better than excellent 3.15 FIP and an above-average 3.55 xFIP. Incredibly impressive for a starting pitcher who was 32 years old at the time.

Last year, Lester saw his FIP and xFIP rise exponentially. However, he posted a 1.88 ERA in two starts.

While the sample size was considerably smaller, Lester stepped up and figured out a way to help pitch the club to its third straight NLCS appearance. In the span, he allowed just three earned runs in 14 1/3 innings pitched. He should understandably be counted on as October rolls closer.