Cubs’ Javier Assad Making Changes to Get Ahead in MLB

Getty Javier Assad

Going into the 2024 season, the Chicago Cubs‘ starting rotation was arguably a weak point in their roster. Marcus Stroman had left to free agency at the end of 2023, and while signing Japanese pitcher Shōta Imanaga was a move in the right direction to fill the gap, it was easy to see where further moves needed to be made to bolster the Cubs’ pitching.

For starter Javier Assad, this season is an opportunity to prove himself, and he’s certainly making the most of it.

On April 12, The Athletic’s Eno Sarris named Assad as one of “four MLB pitchers making the adjustments that could lead to breakouts” this season, particularly commenting on the changes the starter has made to his fastballs.

“Assad, 26, has added an inch of fade to his sinker and a little bit of ride, making it more of a true two-seamer than a traditional sinker profile,” Sarris wrote. “It now has a 102 Stuff+, which seems mediocre but is almost a full standard deviation above average in that pitch type, and it gives him a top-20 sinker among starters.”

Assad Is Proving His Value In the Cubs’ Rotation

On February 24, The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney reported that Craig Counsell would be using a rotation of six starters this season, giving newly-acquired Imanaga a chance to adjust to pitching every five days. While ace Justin Steele, Imanaga, Kyle Hendricks, and Jameson Taillon had locked positions in the rotation, Assad and left-hander Jordan Wicks earned their spots in spring training, beating out other contenders that included Hayden Wesneski and Drew Smyly.

After finding out he would be starting the season in the rotation, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian quoted Assad as saying, via an interpreter, “I’m super appreciative, super happy.”

After three starts (16.2 innings) this season, Assad is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts, quickly becoming one of the team’s most dependable starters. At 26 years old, this is Assad’s third year in the majors, having finished 2023 with a 3.05 ERA in 109.1 innings, and 2022 with a 3.11 ERA in 37.2 innings.

It’s still very early in the season, but so far, the Cubs have already been forced to lean heavily on their less-proven starters. Taillon opened the season on the IL due to calf and back issues, Steele is out for at least a month after sustaining a hamstring strain on Opening Day, and Hendricks is struggling on the mound so much that he’s almost certainly looking at a demotion to the bullpen in the coming weeks, so all eyes are on Assad, Wicks, Imanaga, and newly called-up Ben Brown.

It hasn’t taken long for Assad to prove his worth to the Cubs — his 16.2 innings pitched are the most by a Cubs starter this season and his ERA is the second-best on the team, only behind Imanaga. According to Sarris, Assad is in a great shape to stay on top.

“Overall, Assad is in a position to dominate righties with two breaking balls and a sinker, and slide by lefties using the cutter and curve (to which he added 3 inches of movement in both directions) with some other pitches snuck in,” Sarris wrote. “Lefty-laden lineups with power might give him some tough starts, but he looks the part of a top-75 starter right now.”

Are the Cubs Contenders For a Playoff Berth in 2024?

Between a slew of injuries already hitting the roster and underperformance in crucial areas, the Cubs haven’t had the stellar start to 2024 they would’ve liked, but it certainly hasn’t been bad. Chicago is 10-6 after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, and if the team can win their current series against a team that edged them out of the playoffs last season, it’s likely to build back some much-needed confidence.

The Cubs made some important acquisitions during the offseason, and even though there were obvious areas of the roster that could’ve used further improvement, the players they did add have already been proving their worth.

Imanaga has been unstoppable on the mound through his first three starts, currently holding a perfect 0.00 ERA with a 0.72 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 15.1 innings. First baseman Michael Busch, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, is leading the team in batting average (.327), OPS (1.141), and home runs (6). Even Cody Bellinger, who has arguably had a slow start after seemingly-endless offseason hype, has recorded 10 RBIs and 2 home runs.

The MLB season is a long one, and the Cubs still have plenty of time to run away with the NL Central — if they can stay healthy.