Double win for Cubs: Hendricks is consistent and locked in on favorable contract
Major league baseball is still expecting to play an abbreviated season this year, and some starting pitchers are going to be more ready to go than others.
Starters like Kyle Hendricks.
With his seemingly effortless delivery and penchant for throwing strikes, Hendricks always came across as the type of pitcher who could emerge from a winter slumber, climb right back on the mound and get hitters out.
Before reporting to the Cubs' Mesa, Arizona, spring training camp in February, Hendricks took measures to ensure he was even more prepared for what, at the time, was another marathon season ahead.
The coronavirus pandemic halted baseball on March 12.
Projected as the Cubs' No. 2 starter this year behind the reinvigorated Yu Darvish, Hendricks led the staff with a 3.46 ERA in 2019 while going 11-10 with 150 strikeouts and only 32 walks in 177 innings.
With four seasons of at least 20 starts and a sub-3.50 ERA, Hendricks is as consistent as they come.
Last year, however, Hendricks missed the last two weeks of June with right shoulder discomfort and he was out of gas in his final two starts of the regular season, giving up 10 runs (8 earned) in 11⅓ innings.
Hendricks saw a need to add strength over the winter and worked on his leg, back and shoulders.
"It was an overall different strength program," he said. "A lot more new school kind of stuff. A lot more movement stuff and becoming more athletic. Not just stuff in the weight room to get me ready to go pitch on the mound, but movement stuff so I feel better moving around the mound. It's just made my whole mechanical flow better."
All of the physical work was paying off for Hendricks in spring training before play was stopped.
In 3 Cactus League starts, the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder allowed only 1 run in 9 innings to go with 8 strikeouts and 1 walk.
New Cubs manager David Ross caught Hendricks in 2015-16 and is well aware of how good the Dartmouth product can be.
"He sets the right example," Ross said. "He's unemotional in every aspect of his game. Good or bad, you'd never know how his last start was. He's a worker. He prepares the right way and goes out and gives you his best effort. I feel like he's one of the guys you've got to worry about least. You know what you're going to get out of him and he sets one of the best tones."
The Cubs are eventually going to have to address the futures of multiple players that are approaching free agency, including key contributors like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez.
They have no worries with Hendricks, who is under contract through the 2023 season after agreeing to a four-year, $55.5 million contract. Also favorable for the Cubs, they hold a $16 million option on the steady starter for 2024.