Otto: Young Cubs full of positive oddities
Prior to Saturday's game against the Dodgers, the Cubs sat 37 games above .500. The club has not been that many games over .500 since 1945, which was also the last time they were in the World Series.
Starting pitchers Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester all sport ERAs under 3.00, placing all 3 in the top 5 of the National League. Arrieta is leading the NL in wins, while Hendricks is at the top of the ERA leader-board with 2.19.
Kris Bryant is leading the league in home runs and runs scored, while Anthony Rizzo is currently fourth in the league for RBI.
These individual player statistics tells a big part of why Joe Maddon's club is where they are, but it doesn't tell the whole story. There are some oddities to the Cubs that you tend to see in great teams.
The Cubs recently swept the San Diego Padres in 3 games, where San Diego had to face Lester, Arrieta and Hendricks in succession. They are three different pitchers all with different styles, which most teams do not have. Lester, left-handed, has a nasty cut-fastball while Arrieta throws gas from the right side and Hendricks sinks his fastball better than anyone in the NL.
Addison Russell has driven in over 80 runs, all from the shortstop position. You don't see too many teams with a shortstop who has that kind of run production. Typically, if a team does have that kind of run production from their shortstop, they suffer defensively. That is certainly not the case with Russell.
Javier Baez has redefined the term "super-utility player." With a man on first the other night against the Padres, Baez charged in on a bunt from second base, while Rizzo, playing first base, did not charge and instead stayed close to first. Baez fielded the bunt, threw a bullet down to Russell who then flipped it Rizzo, who was patiently waiting at first base for the double play.
I can't recall ever seeing a second baseman charge on a bunt play, let alone get a double play out of it. With no disrespect to the Cubs' regulars, whatever position Joe Maddon plugs Baez in at, the team becomes even better defensively. It's such a rarity for teams to have a player like Baez, where a manager can give so many different regulars a night off, yet not suffer defensively in the process.
Rizzo and Bryant are so much more to their team than their 25 and 35 homers, respectively. It's just rare for teams to have big-time power hitters do the things that Rizzo and Bryant do. Last Sunday, Rizzo tagged up and scored from third base on a pop-up in foul territory less than 90 feet from home plate. Rizzo also made that catch on a foul while standing on top of the side wall at Wrigley, in a perfect pirouette.
The other day with a man on first, Bryant hit a one-hop bullet to shortstop, that normally would result in a double play. But with Bryant's hustle and speed, he beat it out and kept the inning alive. He routinely scores from first on doubles, he stays out of double plays with his speed and at times surprises opposing teams with that hustle.
The Cubs don't have the market cornered on talented, multidimensional players. Korey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers is also one of those young players that can do it all, too. It's just the Cubs have so much of it in odd and different areas.
• Dave Otto, a standout athlete at Elk Grove High School, pitched from 1987-1994 for four MLB teams, including the Cubs. A former baseball analyst for WGN Radio, FoxSportsNet and Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Otto also is a member of the University of Missouri Hall of Fame.