Wrigleyville Nation's Podcast - Chicago Cubs Discussion, News, & More · wrigleyvillenation.com

Ep 371 - Guest: Sara Sanchez, Steele Injured, Cubs Stay Hot, PCA Contract, & More

April 15, 2025·1 hr 7 min·4 clips

The Cubs lead baseball with 79 runners left in scoring position and still rank first in RBI situations.

1. Wrigleyville Nation's Podcast episode 371 centers on the Cubs' hot start, Justin Steele's injury, and extension talk around Pete Crow-Armstrong. 2. Jeremy Diemer hosts with Pat, and Sarah Sanchez joins as a Bleed Cubbie Blue writer and host of Cup of Cubby Blue. 3. The episode asks how a Cubs team that just beat Texas and the Dodgers can absorb losing Justin Steele. 4. The hosts describe a week that included a win over Texas, a series win in Los Angeles, and a 16-0 Dodgers loss. 5. Sarah says she was in Atlanta for work and saw a Kyle Schwarber home run at Truist Park. 6. Justin Steele's season-ending injury becomes the main pitching topic, because the Cubs lose an ace-level arm. 7. Sarah argues the Cubs need one more top-end starter and a little more bullpen help. 8. Jeremy and Pat compare Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Colin Rea, Ben Brown, and Cade Horton as parts of the rotation picture. 9. Sarah says the Cubs should be early on the trade market and consider a deal for Sandy Alcantara. 10. The group also notes that Colin Rea can help, but not as a full replacement for Steele. 11. Sarah calls the situation devastating and says the Cubs cannot bank on Cade Horton and Ben Brown alone. 12. Pat points out that Steele entered the year with just six wins last season and now leads the league with three wins. 13. The offense gets a long segment because Kyle Tucker has 23 hits, 19 runs, 18 RBIs, and 15 walks in 18 games. 14. Sarah cites a stat that Tucker is the only player in MLB history to reach that exact first-18-games line. 15. The Cubs are also described as baseball's best team in runners left in scoring position, with 79 stranded. 16. Even with that imbalance, the Cubs are hitting .302 with runners in scoring position and posting a 1.50 WRC+ in those spots. 17. The tone is conversational and analytic, with Sarah giving roster-building context from Bleed Cubbie Blue and fantasy baseball. 18. The format moves from game results to rotation depth, then bullpen usage, then contract strategy for PCA. 19. Cubs fans tracking Steele, Tucker, PCA, and trade-deadline pitching. 20. Casual listeners without Cubs interest or roster-construction patience.

As heard by us

A strong Cubs week becomes the start of the questions, not the end.

Wrigleyville Nation follows a Cubs club that just took two of three from Texas and two of three from the Dodgers, then widens into the questions still hanging over the roster.

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Why you'd press play

When a strong Cubs week still leaves you thinking about the bullpen and what comes next.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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