No team in the last five years has reached the playoffs while striking out as frequently as the Cubs have so far in 2015.
That much is a cause for concern, as the Cubs entered Saturday’s tilt with Cincinnati sporting a 25 percent strikeout rate. This is a team that strikes out once every four trips to the plate, which through a traditional lens would seem to show a warning sign for the months ahead.
Lineup regulars Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, Dexter Fowler, Miguel Montero and Addison Russell all are striking out in more than 20 percent of their plate appearances.