Jose Quintana owns an underwhelming 5.24 scFIP (Statcast FIP) and 6.00 ERA in August. This, of course, is not what the front office had in mind when they gave up their two prized prospects, Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease. So what’s the deal with the new Cubs pitcher?
Quintana’s struggles coincide with a drastic shift in pitch selection. Whether that is directly causing the increase in runs allowed is impossible to know, but, in theory, the change in his repertoire is indeed hurting the pitcher.
Quintana now throws mostly sinkers
At the start of August, Quintana became a sinker-ball pitcher, forgoing his typical 40 percent four-seamer usage in favor of the sinker.