5 mind blowing statistics from the Chicago Cubs' first month

2. The rotation's 3.43 ERA

The Cub's starting rotation has been mostly solid so far, ranking 2nd in the National League and tied for 5th in MLB with a 3.43 ERA. Leading the charge in his sophomore season as a full time starter is LHP Justin Steele, who is currently first in the National League with a 1.49 ERA over 36 innings. Alongside Steele is sanker specialist Marcus Stroman, whose high groundball percentage is playing well with the Cubs' newly improved infield defense. With gold glove candidates Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner gobbling up balls up the middle, while Wisdom and Mancini/ Hosmer cover the corners, Stroman is comfortable letting his sanker sank which has resulted in him posting a 2.29 ERA over his first 6 starts.

Behind the one-two punch of Steele and Stroman is Drew Smyly, who has been surprisingly solid so far and emerged as the third starter. With a 3.21 ERA and a WHIP of just 0.93, Smyly's first month was highlighted by his perfect game bid against the Dodgers on April 21st. The back of the rotation could use some improvement, as Jameson Taillon is hurt and Hayden Wesneski has gotten shelled on several occasions but has been better recently. The unsung hero in all this success is veteran catcher Yan Gomes, who is proving to be an invaluable backstop on and off the field. The rotation will have to continue to dominate if the Cubs hope to make a run at the division.