It appears that the Cubs’ Pitch Lab may be one of the more successful recruiting tools in all of baseball. Perhaps it was the difference-maker when the team brought in a number of reclamation projects on one-year deals. In reality, starters Jake Arrieta, Trevor Williams, Kohl Stewart, and Shelby Miller, and reliever Brandon Workman could have signed anywhere. And in at least Arrieta’s case, possibly with more favorable terms. It may have been the team’s pitching infrastructure that sold each of them on coming to Chicago.
All of those pitchers have something to prove this season and each can benefit from working with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and the rest of his staff.