Chicago Cubs: Top 10 single-season pitching performances (Part II)

The modern day era of Chicago Cubs baseball has brought with it its fair share of ineffably strange and sometimes heartbreaking moments. Through it all, however, has emerged some of the greatest single-season pitching performances in team history.

Throughout the 2000s, the Chicago Cubs have been one of the most unpredictable franchises in baseball. From 2000-03, for instance, the club posted win totals of 65, 88, 67, 88, in that order. The 2003 season was one of the best in its regard, despite the disastrous finish. In 2008, the team won 97 games before seeing their win total decrease over the next four seasons.

Across the past four seasons, the team has become a juggernaut in both the National League and in Major League Baseball, recording win totals of 97, 103, 92, and 95, respectively. While each successful season is vivacious in its own right, breaking them down to profile individual performances is even better, namely starting pitching.

Naturally, the club has had many great pitchers work their way through the ranks to Wrigley; however, there are those performances that, still to this day, makes a fan turn their head to gawk at in amazement.

Chicago Cubs’ Mark Prior: 2003

Not much can be said about the 2003 season on the Northside of Chicago. A season of many ups and certifiably, downs, without breaking the final result down to the unspoken singular moment, the bright spot was 22-year-old Mark Prior and the ridiculous season he had in a Cubs uniform.

In a starting rotation anchored by the likes of Kerry Wood, Matt Clement, and Shawn Estes, Prior led the rotation in a significant way. He started 30 games, finishing a whopping 18-6 with a video game level 2.43 ERA. Prior surpassed the 200-inning threshold as well, posting the second highest total behind just 22-year-old Carlos Zambrano.

Most impressively, Prior recorded a career-best 2.47 FIP while striking out 28.4% of the batters he faced. He finished his season with a 7.4 bWAR, good for fourth overall among pitchers and sixth overall among all players. Prior also finished as an All-Star, as well as third in National League Cy Young voting and top ten in MVP voting.

In his second game of the 2003 season, Prior pitched a complete-game shutout versus the Montreal Expos, allowing only four hits while recording 12 strikeouts. Two starts later, Prior again finished a complete-game, this time allowing just one run in a victory versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. In total, Prior finished 2003 with four complete games and a fifth game where he pitched into the ninth inning.

When it came time for the postseason, Prior did not let off the gas. In three postseason starts, Prior pitched 23 1/3 innings, compiling a ludicrous 2.31 ERA. Each of his starts saw Prior go at least seven innings while not allowing more than three runs. The first postseason start of Prior’s career finished with a complete game, where he allowed just one run and struck out seven.

A myriad of injuries would lamentably derail Prior’s career, as he lasted only three more seasons in the big leagues, officially retiring in 2013 after attempting to work his way back. In many ways, however, that 2003 season will live on in Cubs lore not for how it finished but through the magic Prior brought to the Windy City and how for one glorious season, he carried the team on his back.

Chicago Cubs’ Ryan Dempster: 2008

Another average starter throughout his career, Ryan Dempster put together a surprisingly strong 2008 campaign, leading him to be a part of this illustrious list. Dempster is a dark horse, no doubt. However, the season he put together turned out to be the best of his long career.

Throughout the 16 years, Dempster took the mound, he only earned an All-Star nod twice, once in 2000 and the other time in 2008. He finished the year 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA. Dempster set a career high in not only wins and ERA, but also ERA+ and FIP. It would be the only time Dempster would post an ERA+ over 150.

By the time Dempster arrived in Chicago, he had racked up some stops along the way, however never honestly found his footing until he joined the Cubs. Across his nine-year Cubs career, Dempster finished 67-66 with a 3.74 ERA. Never did he post an ERA under four with any of his other teams.

In his 33 starts Dempster made in 2008 two particular starts stand above the rest: his start on May 15 versus the San Diego Padres and June 11 versus the Atlanta Braves. The May 15 start saw Dempster pitch into the ninth inning, finishing with 8 1/3 innings of shutout baseball with a whopping 12 strikeouts.

In the June 11 game versus Atlanta, Dempster finished the complete game, allowing only two runs and recording 11 strikeouts. The eight-game stretch to include another scoreless eight-inning start, Dempster posted a 2.52 ERA, allowing opposing batters to hit .232 and allowing only six home runs.

By the end of the season, Dempster had posted 24 Quality Starts for the Cubs. The postseason, sadly, would be less forgiving to Dempster. He would make a single start, in Game 1 of the NLDS versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching 4 2/3 innings, while allowing 4 ER, and a painful seven walks. Despite the lackadaisical finish to his season, it does not overshadow how impressive he indeed was for the city of Chicago, and that is why he finds himself on this list.

Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta: 2015

The trade which started it all. Okay well, not exactly, but close. It was in 2013 that everything changed: the day Jake Arrieta became a member of the Chicago Cubs. A trade which will live in infamy. The first few years of Arrieta’s career in Chicago were solid. In his debut year for the Cubs, he started just nine games, posting a 3.66 ERA. Arrieta built on it the following season, posting an outstanding 2.53 ERA in 25 starts.

Then 2015 happened, and my goodness was it glorious. Not only did Arrieta see his number of starts increase, but he also posted the best season of his career to date. In a season filled with many ups, Arrieta stood strong finishing 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA en route to a much deserved National League Cy Young award. His season was so good that Arrieta finished sixth overall in the MVP race.

Arrieta did a great job in many categories. He finished with an excellent 2.35 FIP and 2.61 xFIP, respectively. Lastly, Arrieta finished with a 7.0 fWAR, which was second behind only Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. To boot, in the 229 innings Arrieta pitched, he allowed just ten home runs.

While the strikeout rate was decent, it was nothing to write home about. The walk rate, however, ended up being a career low for Arrieta. He also held opposing hitters to a .184 clip, and a .246 BABIP.

Diving into Arrieta’s campaign, the most impressive aspect was his second half and how he was nearly unhittable. From July 12 to October 2, Arrieta made 16 starts. He posted the following line: 15-1, 0.77 ERA, three complete games, a .143 batting average against, two home runs allowed, and 122 strikeouts.

In his four total complete games, Arrieta allowed a single earned run in 36 innings, striking out 39 batters, walking two, and allowing nine hits. On August 30, Arrieta threw his best game of the year, completing a no-hitter versus the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road in grand fashion. It summed up how the season progressed for Arrieta.

After the Cubs clinched a berth in the Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Arrieta received the call and did not let the Wrigley faithful down. He spun an absolute gem, twirling a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts to send the Cubs onto the Division series. He earned a Game 3 win versus St. Louis in the NLDS before succumbing to misfortune against the New York Mets. By the end of it all, Arrieta had finished with a respectable 3.66 ERA.

No matter the fact that Arrieta is gone, he will always be a part of Chicago. He helped as a transformative piece, bring hope to a city void of a championship. And for that, the Windy City will always be grateful for Arrieta, and his 2015 season.

Chicago Cubs’ Jon Lester: 2016

The above image should say it all. A face of intensity, a true leader, and one of the best starting pitchers to ever wear a Cubs uniform, Jon Lester embodies everything it means to play on the north side of Chicago. He is a proven winner with a proven track record of success. He is also one of the most unassumingly intense guys you will ever meet.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis

When Theo Epstein arrived to lead the Cubs, the connection between him and Lester lingered, fostered from their time when the young lefty helped lead Boston to two world championships. Fast forward to 2016, Lester’s second year in Chicago. Coming off a strong season the year before, Lester continued to impress at the wise age of 32 years old.

It should be argued to be the best year of his career. During a dominant year all around, culminating in a World Series championship, who could expect any less from the kid from the Pacific Northwest. Helping lead how he knows how, Lester made 32 starts, finishing 19-5 with a 2.44 ERA. He finished only behind Max Scherzer for the National League Cy Young.

Kicking off his season in style, Lester posted quality starts in seven of his first eight starts, pitching at least seven innings in four of his starts. His first eye-opening game of the year came on June 1 against the Dodgers, where Lester finished off a complete game. He allowed a run and struck out ten. It sparked a string of six straight starts, in which he went 5-1 with a 1.41 ERA, striking out 43 hitters over 44 2/3 innings.

Impressively, Lester pitched to an insane 0.96 ERA from July 29 to September 25, recording a .225 OBP and a .183 batting average against. In the 75 1/3 innings, Lester allowed only three home runs.

The postseason was not much different, which remains a primary reason the Cubs won the World Series. Over the first three starts, Lester posted a 0.48 ERA across 21 innings, winning two games. In a gritty Game 5 of the World Series, he pitched well enough to keep Chicago in the game, finishing with a quality start over six innings.

In a pivotal Game 7, Lester came in for Kyle Hendricks and twirled three innings, allowing two unfortunate runs to cross, however, did his job and bore down when he needed. Lester recorded a 3.68 ERA in the series and remained as an integral part of the team and a finish that shocked the world and broke the curse. For Cubs fans, imaging Lester anywhere else is a tough pill to swallow. Thank goodness he is with the good guys.

Final thoughts

As many can see, there are a ton of pitchers who at one point in their career made their special impact in Chicago. While some of the starters never saw ultimate success in their careers, for a shining season they experienced the exceptional nature of sustained success and an understanding of how to lead.

It can be argued for hours about the amount of ‘qualified’ names to grace this list. However, each guy represented carried their weight in, and fans can certainly respect and embrace that measure. As the future is on the horizon, we need to continue to appreciate the likes of Lester, Kyle Hendricks, and Yu Darvish before it’s too late.