Chicago Cubs get vintage Yu Darvish as team dominates White Sox

In his second Cactus League outing, right-hander Yu Darvish looked outstanding, leading the Chicago Cubs to a lopsided win over the rival White Sox.

I’ve said it more times than you – or I – would like. For the Chicago Cubs to have any chance of returning to a second World Series in four years, the starting rotation has to step up and put the team on its back. Pair that rotation with an offensive more than capable of ranking right there with the best in baseball and you have the makings of a championship-caliber club.

But perhaps the biggest X-factor on the pitching staff is right-hander Yu Darvish. We all know the narrative. Chicago signed him to a six-year, $126 million contract late last offseason, replacing the departed Jake Arrieta, who joined up with the Philadelphia Phillies earlier in the winter. Darvish fell flat, though, turning in a season universally labeled as a disappointment.

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The Japanese-born hurler turned in just eight starts in 2018, battling control issues and an injury that stretched into the summer months before the team diagnosed him correctly.

When the dust settled on his season, there wasn’t much to like: a career-worst 1.425 WHIP, 1.6 home runs and 4.7 walks per nine. He struggled badly, especially in the fifth inning of ballgames, and left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans.

But after working his way back from the elbow injury, Darvish reported to Arizona early this spring to get a head start on his fellow pitchers and catchers. Last week, the right-hander lit up the radar gun in his 2019 Cactus League debut, touching the mid-to-upper 90s on his fastball. On Sunday, he took the mound for the second time this spring – and turned in a dominant showing.

Darvish pitched two scoreless innings against the crosstown rival Chicago White Sox, walking one and striking out three. After he was maligned for ‘mental weakness’ last season, Darvish is pitching with a purpose this spring – and dare say, with some swagger on the mound.

Inject that directly into my veins. I got some, well, less than kind feedback when I made a bold prediction regarding Darvish earlier this offseason – but now that he’s pumping gas and making hitters look silly, I’m feeling pretty good about it.

If Yu Darvish returns to form and pitches like he’s capable of, the Chicago Cubs immediately become the favorites in the NL Central this season. And if these early returns are any indication as to what we can expect, we’re in for a treat this summer.