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Cubs News: Appreciating Yu Darvish’s drastic evolution since 2018
NL Cy Young runner-up Yu Darvish came to the Cubs in 2018 amidst a lot of hype.
February 10, 2018. The Chicago Cubs had reached an agreement with free agent pitcher Yu Darvish. Six years for $126 million. Darvish had five MLB seasons under his belt since coming over to the United States from Japan. His resume included four All-Star appearances and a career 3.42 ERA, 3.30 FIP and 11.0 K/9.
Despite the woes of the 2017 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, expectations were obviously high. This signing was basically replacing fan-favorite Jake Arrieta in the rotation, who went on to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies. There was some concern with Darvish, especially regarding how he pitched in the World Series the year prior and his history with injuries.
Fast forward to 2020 where Darvish finished second in the National League Cy Young voting and put up an NL best 2.23 FIP in 12 starts. There is so much that happened in between the day he signed and the end of the 2020 season. Some highs and some lows. The journey for Darvish as a Cub is a fascinating one, and something worth exploring in detail as he is now halfway through his six-year deal.
Cubs fans immediately questioned the Darvish signing after 2018
Things went from bad to worse for Darvish in his inaugural campaign on the North Side. He made just eight starts before missing the rest of the 2018 campaign due to injuries. A 4.95 ERA and career-worst 4.86 FIP in just 40 innings of work were just part of the story.
Twenty-one walks in 40 innings, a 4.7 BB/9 and a 1.425 WHIP, with batters slashing .235/.341/.425 against him. The average is not very high, but the OBP and slugging was much higher than desired. In half (four) of his starts he gave up four or five runs, while walking 3-4 batters in half of his starts. Only three times he made it to the fifth inning and never made it past the sixth.
His one start in which he gave up zero earned runs was against the Brewers on April 27 at Wrigley Field, where he pitched six innings and surrendered one unearned run.
The stuff was still decent overall. His fastball averaged 94.8 MPH, with the sinker at 94.2 and the slider at 85. The lack of command killed him, and it could be fair to speculate that the 2017 World Series was still looming in his mind when he was on the mound.
He was much more reserved than he is now in the public and it did not really seem like he had fully settled in yet. Once the physical injuries hit, his season was all but done. Many feared the big contract was shaping up to be an epic disaster and a huge waste of money. Fans were frustrated, as was he. Critics were hard on him as he needed redemption in 2019.
Full summary of 2018: 4.95 ERA, 4.86 FIP, 1.425 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, 8.1 H/9 (hits per nine innings), 0.3 fWAR
Cubs: 2019 season saw the slow return to form for Yu Darvish
Working back from injuries and a career-worst season was not going to be easy for Darvish. The goal for spring training was to get back to normal after spending the majority of 2018 injured.
His first 14 starts collectively saw many of the same struggles from 2018. The walk rate was ridiculously high, 44 walks in 72 1/3 innings which resulted in a .351 opponent OBP. In six starts he walked four-plus hitters. That’s not to mention the 13 home runs given up, an overall 4.98 ERA and .776 OPS in those first 14 starts. Only once he went seven innings as his struggles resulted in very early hooks by Joe Maddon. His overall ERA as a Cub through 22 starts stood at 4.98.
Then, the turning point in Yu Darvish’s Cubs career. June 15 at Dodger Stadium where he went seven innings and gave up one run on two hits and struck out 10, issuing just one walk.
That was his first start at Dodger Stadium since Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. While sounding very cliché, it feels like that start erased his demons of the past. What followed was an incredibly different pitcher than the one who struggled in his first 22 starts. The rest of his 17 starts in 2019, he pitched to a 3.30 ERA, .198/.232/.401 slash against and an unthinkable 148 strikeouts to only a dozen walks.
The difference between 44 walks in 14 starts and 12 walks in 17 starts is absolutely unreal. During that run, he went seven or more innings in five starts after doing that just once in his first 22 Cubs outings. He finished the year with a 1.097 WHIP after posting an 11.7 percent walk rate in the first half. A confident Darvish was absolutely dominant down the stretch.
Cubs: Darvish put the team on his back this season in a big way
The dominant season by Darvish in 2020 is still fresh in people’s minds. 2.01 ERA, 2.23 FIP, 0.96 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, 1.7 BB/9 and 3.0 fWAR.
His fWAR in just 12 starts was higher than in any other season he’s been a Cub. His command was spectacular, he missed a lot of bats and went deep into ballgames. He finished seven innings in six starts and pitched short of six innings only once. He walked two or more batters (no higher than three) in just three starts. Only two of the 12 starts were not quality starts.
So here are some notable numbers. Put together the final 17 starts in 2019 and all 12 in 2020. That equates to a 2.77 ERA, 241 strikeouts against 26 walks, a .203 average against in 182 1/3 innings. That closely equates to a normal 162 game season’s worth of starts. Those are absolutely Cy Young worthy numbers in a normal season.
First 22 starts: 4.98, last 29 starts: 2.77 ERA.
His overall numbers as a Cub equate to a 3.60 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 1.11 WHIP, 11.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. If someone in February 2018 traveled to November 2020 and saw those numbers without any context, they would probably say the contract was overall worth it. It shows how crazy much of a 180 he has done since 2018.
Next. Cubs will run it back in 2021. dark
Right now his value is arguably at an all-time high and he proved to be one of the most exciting players to watch on the Cubs in 2020. A wild journey that so far has taken a turn for the best. He is a great guy to root for and deservedly has been embraced by the fanbase.