Chicago Cubs should tap Kyle Hendricks, not Yu Darvish on Opening Day

At this point, we may not know when baseball will return. But when it does, the Chicago Cubs should name Kyle He ndricks as their Opening Day starter.

For now, baseball is on hold. On Thursday, Major League Baseball suspended all spring training action, effective immediately, while also delaying Opening Day by a minimum of two weeks.

Even when the season does open, the impact of the COVID-19 virus may still be felt at Wrigley Field. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker spoke with owners of professional sports teams in Chicago, including the Chicago Cubs, and suggested all major sporting events be “shut down” or played in empty stadiums until May 1, according to The Athletic (subscription required). 

“All of the owners that I spoke with told me they completely understood and were more than willing to comply with this guidance,” he said. “I want to thank them for putting the health and safety of the residents of our state above all else.”

But at some point, baseball will return and all of the storylines we’ve been covering and following for weeks and months will once again come to the forefront of our minds. One of those stories that had come out in the days leading up to professional sports hitting the brakes on their respective seasons? David Ross‘ choice for Opening Day starter.

Chicago Cubs: For just the second time since 2015, Lester won’t get the ball

Since coming to the North Side ahead of the 2015 campaign, Jon Lester has pretty much been the guy for the Chicago Cubs. The big left-hander has lived up to all the hype that came with his record-breaking contract – and then some.

Since joining the Cubs, Lester has taken the ball at least 31 times each season, pitching to a 3.54 ERA during that stretch. He’s made a pair of All-Star teams, finishing second in 2016 NL Cy Young voting and, of course, helped erase a 108-year World Series title drought, earning co-NLCS MVP honors in the process.

But with roughly 2,700 innings on his left arm, Lester has something to prove after a disappointing performance last season. He led the league in hits allowed (205) and pitched his fewest innings in a season during his Cubs tenure (171 2/3). Now, that’s nothing to turn your nose up at – there are plenty of guys who wish they could eat that many innings in a subpar campaign.

The simple truth, though, is that Lester – while still one of the most hard-nosed and grittiest performers in the game – is no longer an ace. And that’s OK.

“I just think you slot them in 1-2-3, for me,” Ross told MLB.com. “It’s just, ‘Who’s a better pitcher?’ Jon’s at a point in his career where, for me, Yu and Kyle have thrown better. Not to say that I ever don’t have any confidence in Jon. Obviously, I’ve got a ton of confidence in Jon … It’s just, you put you best foot forward to start the season, and I think Yu Darvish or Kyle Hendricks are a tick above Jon right now.”

Heading into what may be his final season in a Cubs uniform, having someone as accomplished as Lester slotting into the three spot of the rotation can hardly be considered a weakness. But with the southpaw taking a step backward in the pecking order, it leaves opportunities for two of his teammates.

Chicago Cubs: Can Darvish build on his dominant second half?

The 2018 season in which Yu Darvish made just eight starts before being shut down due to injury is a thing of the past at this point. Now, when you hear his name, you likely think of his slaying of Twitter trolls and his lights-out second-half run to cap off last year.

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Down the stretch last summer, the right-hander flipped a switch and starting hitting his spots in a historic fashion. Post All-Star Break, he put up a 16.86 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.808 WHIP in 13 starts. In one late season start, he came out firing bullets and while sitting in the stands, I found myself wondering if I was about to see Darvish take a run at Kerry Wood‘s 20-strikeout record. 

That run obviously didn’t go unnoticed by first-year manager David Ross, either, who said earlier this week that his decision for Opening Day comes down to either Darvish or soft-tossing right-hander Kyle Hendricks.

I understand the argument for Darvish – I do. The right-hander was near-unhittable late last season and now that he’s settled in and comfortable in Chicago, he’s poised for a breakout campaign in 2020.

While a team’s Opening Day starter is largely a ceremonious designation, it still means something for players. And, while Darvish will be a critical – perhaps the most critical part of the Chicago starting rotation this season – his competition for the role, Hendricks, has simply done more to earn the honor.