Where the Chicago Cubs rotation ranks among NL Central teams

One of the main strengths of the 2023 Chicago Cubs has been the starting pitching, which looks capable of carrying the team for the stretch run if the standout performances continue.

5. The Cincinnati Reds

That's right the team was sitting in first place in the NL Central not too long ago and arguably has the worst rotation in the division. For one thing, the team does not have a starting pitcher that has enough innings under his belt to qualify for the league lead in ERA. The rotation is spearheaded by 23-year-old Hunter Greene, who admittedly has some of the best strikeout stuff in the league with a blazing 100 mph fastball. He has been rehabbing a hip injury for the last couple of weeks and is expected back in early July.

Other than Greene, the Reds rotation is thin to say the least. They are getting good value out of rookie Andrew Abbot, who has a 1.21 ERA in his first five starts this year. But the rest of the squad is sporting ugly ERA's like Graham Ashcraft (7.17), Luke Weaver (6.86), Ben Lively (4.11), and Brandon Williamson (5.82). While the offense is carrying this Reds team right now, they would have to add starting pitching at the deadline to have any hope of making a run.

4. St. Louis Cardinals

Historically the St. Louis Cardinals can usually count on their starting pitching to lift them up in hard times. That has not been the case about halfway through 2023 as their rotation currently ranks near the bottom of the league (23rd as of June 28th) in combined ERA. Jordan Montgomery, who the team acquired in a surprise trade with the Yankees last deadline, has been the only trustworthy arm and he hasn't exactly been spectacular. He has a respectable 3.52 ERA with a WHIP of 1.27 in 92 innings. Those figures are serviceable but ideally, you'd want your number 1 starter to be posting better numbers than that.

Miles Mikolas is leading the team in innings pitched but the 34-year-old is having a down year with a 4.23 ERA in 16 starts. Former ace Adam Wainwright appears to have little left in the tank after what will probably go down as his swan song in 2022. The 41-year-old has been truly abysmal with a 6.56 ERA and just 46 innings pitched. Jack Flaherty's first full season since 2019 has been rough and Steven Matz was so bad as a starter he's been moved to the bullpen. The bottom line is this team's pitching staff has been a disaster and they are struggling to pick up the pieces after long-time catcher Yadier Molina's retirement.

Much of the rotation struggles can probably be put on former Cub catcher Willson Contreras, and frankly, his signing with the Cardinals has been nothing short of hilarious from a Cubs perspective. After badmouthing the Cubs all offseason and signing a five-year deal with the Cardinals, the former all-star now finds himself in the middle of his worst offensive season, incapable of inheriting a new pitching staff and periodically at odds with his new manager Oliver Marmol. I would love to sit here and tell you it's a shame to see this franchise take such a nose dive when they were expected to easily win the NL Central, but that would be a lie.

3. The Pittsburgh Pirates

Until very recently, the Pirates looked like they were the kings of the NL Central. That is until suffering two series sweeps against the Chicago Cubs in a week which plunged them down to fourth place. The starting pitching hasn't been horrible for the Buccos with 27-year-old Mitch Keller shooting ahead of the pack as the best starter. Keller has 113 strikeouts in 99 innings with a 3.45 ERA. The former Cub Rich Hill is eating innings (89) for Pittsburgh in his age 43-season, but his effectiveness is much to be desired with an ERA in the mid-4 range.

Johan Oviedo, Luis Ortiz, and Osvaldo Bido are all showing good signs as all three men are trying to establish themselves at the big league level. With a lot of young guys and Hill's health always a factor, the Pirates' rotation is decent but fragile at the same time. The team does have a pair of top 100 pitching prospects in Anthony Solometo (AA) and Quinn Priester (AAA) on their way. If one of those rookies comes up and performs at a high level and the Pirates make a free agent signing, this rotation could have an entirely different look in the near future.

1. The Chicago Cubs

It may seem like I am being biased here, but the numbers don't lie. Among all starting pitching staffs, the Cubs' ERA is currently fifth in the league. They are also the only team in the division to have two starting pitchers with ERA's below 3. Marcus Stroman (2.47) and Justin Steele (2.62) could both be in the Cy Young conversation if their success continues on its current trajectory. Drew Smyly has been fantastic and pitching above his expectations while Kyle Hendricks is showing signs of his 2016 self after coming back from a months-long shoulder injury. Despite their offensive inconsistencies, the starting rotation has been the shining spot and can hopefully carry the

The concerning piece of the puzzle has been Jameson Taillon, to who the Cubs have committed $68 million over the next four years. But the former second-overall pick has been incredibly bad this year with a 6.90 ERA in 13 games. He has one quality start on the year and left-handed hitters have an OPS over 1.000 against him. If this team really wants to make a run and jump ahead in the division, they're going to need Taillon to step up and at least give the team a chance during his starts. So far, the team is 2-11 in games where Taillon takes the mound.

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