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3 things we learned about the Cubs on their season-opening homestand

A 5-1 record, including taking two of three from the powerful Dodgers, during the team's first homestand of the year has expectations high in Wrigleyville.

By Jake Misener |
Los Angeles Dodgers v Chicago Cubs
Los Angeles Dodgers v Chicago Cubs / Michael Reaves/GettyImages
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Sweeping a series against the lowly Colorado Rockies should be the expectation for a team with postseason aspirations like the Chicago Cubs. But following it up by taking two of three from the clear-cut World Series favorite Los Angeles Dodgers certainly shouldn't be taken lightly, as Craig Counsell's club kicks off a road trip with a 5-1 record on their first homestand in the bag.

This homestand brought us a little bit of everything: from Counsell being on the other side of the Wrigley Field rain delays he once derided as manager of the Brewers to the much-anticipated debut of Shota Imanaga and a lineup loaded with quality at-bats. But here are the three things that stand out the most as Chicago closes the door on its first slate of games at the Confines.

1: The Cubs' belief in Shota Imanaga is being rewarded early on

Imanaga got the ball last Monday for the Cubs home opener - and he was magnificent. The left-hander tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out nine against the Rockies.

He followed it up with a rain-shortened effort in Sunday's series finale against Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers, adding four more scoreless frames to his resume before a lengthy delay ended his afternoon early. Imanaga is yet to walk a batter, and he's shown an early ability to adjust his plan of attack to the challenge offered by big league hitters.

Internally, the organization is much higher on Imanaga than many talent evaluators and he's shown why in his first two starts. With Justin Steele sidelined and the Cubs rotation running short-handed as it awaits the return of not only Steele, but also Jameson Taillon, Imanaga's early success has been a huge part of the team's strong start here in April.

2. Michael Busch looks like he could be the answer at first base

Former Dodgers top prospect Michael Busch took it to his former team over the weekend, laying the groundwork for Sunday's lopsided win in the rubber match with an early RBI double. He's strung together quality at-bats here in the early going, offering hope he could be a long-term solution for Chicago at first base.

Busch is off to a hot start, batting .296/.375 /.481as the team heads out west to kick off a series with the Padres in San Diego. He's shown good plate discipline and has walked at an above-average 12.5% clip.

After Matt Mervis' breakout a couple years ago in the minors, the hope in 2023 was that his power would translate to the big leagues. Instead, he looked totally overmatched in limited action with the Cubs last summer, leading to Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins sending pitching prospect Jackson Ferris to Los Angeles for Busch this winter.

There's a long way to go before we'll know what Busch will be long-term. But, so far, he's checked every box and looks like he could be the first sense of real stability at the position since Anthony Rizzo was traded to the Yankees back in 2021.

3. Craig Counsell is pulling all the right levers early in his Cubs career

Simply put, there just seems to be a much higher level of confidence in the decisions made by Counsell compared to those made by David Ross in recent years. From changing up the lineup and keeping guys fresh, there's been little to complain about when it comes to the new Cubs skipper here in April.

Taking 5 of 6 in your first homestand at the helm is certainly a good way to make a strong first impression, but even as Counsell learns the ins and outs of his roster, especially when it comes to the pitching staff, every decision felt, at the very least, logical and defendable - and that wasn't always the case with Ross in 2023.

It helps when your guys put together solid at-bats from 1 through 9 and you get Gold Glove-caliber defense all over the diamond. The Cubs overcame a week of cold, wet conditions at Wrigley, taking care of business in the process. Now, it's about taking that momentum and carrying it with them for a tough road trip that features matchups with the Padres, Mariners and Diamondbacks.

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