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

Ep 377 - Guest: Matt Trueblood, Successful Cubs Roadtrip, Shaw Returns, PCA Stays Hot, & More

·1 hr 17 min·5 clips

The Cubs have the top four home run hitters and seven of the top nine in the NL Central.

1. Wrigleyville Nation's Podcast Episode 377 centers on a Cubs week that included Miami, Cincinnati, and a 16-5 run across a 21-game stretch. 2. Jeremy Diemer hosts with Pat and guest Matt Trueblood from Northside Baseball, and Trueblood adds roster and pitch-model context to the Cubs conversation. 3. The episode asks whether the Cubs can keep turning a strong April into a sustained May run without giving games back to weaker opponents. 4. The first topic is an 8-7 loss to the Miami Marlins, where the Cubs gave up two runs in the ninth and lost on a walk-off. 5. Pat calls the Marlins a team with almost no one over a 500 OPS and says the Cubs should not have allowed more than five runs. 6. The hosts treat that loss as a test of whether the Cubs still need a closer, or whether the whole bullpen is simply being used out of position. 7. The next games swing hard the other way, with a 14-1 win and then a 2-1 win that required a late push and a Cade Horton contribution. 8. Matt Shaw returns from injury, and the conversation focuses on his minor swing changes, his approach to right-center, and his fit in the lineup. 9. Shaw also draws praise for defensive plays at third base, including two highlight-level stops that helped ease concerns about the position. 10. Pete Crow-Armstrong keeps piling up production, and the episode notes his home run, six RBI night, and continued run as one of the league's hottest hitters. 11. Kyle Tucker gets singled out as the Cubs' best player, with a first-inning homer and a late hit that drove two key runs against Miami. 12. The hosts compare PCA's current power to what they expected from him earlier in the year and admit the extra power was not part of the original projection. 13. Matt explains that PCA's swing is producing a better launch angle and more consistent barrel contact than expected. 14. Jeremy and Matt also talk about PCA looking more controlled in the field, with better catch-point decisions and fewer reckless collisions. 15. A comparison comes up between PCA and Paul Skenes, and both hosts prefer PCA's team control and position-player value over a pitcher with injury risk. 16. The pitching section turns to Colin Rea, Matthew Boyd, Ben Brown, and Craig Counsell's slow hook, plus the reality of an aging bullpen. 17. The episode also names Javier Assad, Ian Happ, Porter Hodge, and Miguel Amaya as Cubs dealing with left oblique strains. 18. Another major item is MLB awarding Wrigley Field the 2027 All-Star Game, with discussion of neighborhood security, bollards, and closing streets like Clark and Addison. 19. Cubs fans who follow roster moves, player development, and Wrigleyville news would get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners seeking non-stop game recaps without roster and park talk may skip it.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Wrigleyville Nation's Podcast - Chicago Cubs Discussion, News, & More