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Chicago Cubs: Looking at a very thin starting rotation
Cubs: Kyle Hendricks is clearly the number one choice for this rotation
The past several years, Cubs fans always played a fun guessing game on who would be the Opening Day starter. There was always a handful of candidates worthy of being the number one guy, this year is sadly different.
Kyle Hendricks, 31, is entering his seventh full season in the Majors. Last season he made his first ever Opening Day – and promptly pitched a complete-game shutout. Hendricks went 6-5 last year with a 2.88 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 0.996 WHIP, and league-best 0.9 BB/9. Overall he has a career 3.12 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 3.53 FIP in 175 games.
It’s crazy to realize he is the last remaining pitcher left on the team from the 2016 World Series championship club. Fans remember what he did that year, including an MLB-leading 2.13 ERA and a masterful postseason. He is currently the only starting pitcher on the staff to pitch 1,000+ innings in his career.
Be prepared for his second career Opening Day start in 2021.