On Thursday, Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta pitched 6 innings against the Pirates. He only gave up two earned runs while walking three batters and striking out four. Arrieta returned to the Cubs this season after spending the last three seasons with the Phillies. Arrieta struggled those three seasons, falling from the graces of winning his Cy Young award in 2015. His ERA had increased each season, peaking last season at 5.08 with his career’s highest WHIP. It was safe to say that Arrieta had something to prove to start this season.
So Far, 2021.
So far, Arrieta has been impressive in his two starts this season. In twelve innings pitched, Arrieta has a 2.25 ERA and is 2-0, off to an incredible start. Arrieta will need to keep this pace up if the Cubs want to compete in the National League. With the Dodgers adding Trevor Bauer and the Padres making multiple acquisitions (like ex-Cub Yu Darvish), the Cubs will need players like Arrieta to step up.
The Highs
Arrieta’s time with the Cubs in the mid-2010s was awe-inspiring. In a five-season span, he was 68-31, with a 2.73 ERA and a WHIP under 1 for two of those seasons. Frankly, Arrieta was nothing less than dominant in his first span with the Cubs. As Cubs fans could attest to, Arrieta was an important piece in their 2016 World Series victory against Cleveland. Arrieta was 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA in that series, claiming wins in Game 2 and a pivotal Game 6. Chicago can only hope that Arrieta is a fraction as efficient as a pitcher now as he was before he left for Philadelphia.
Jake Arrieta Is Back? Not so fast.
Despite a great start, some are still tempering their expectations for Arrieta this season. One main cause for this is that Jake’s first two starts were against the 1-6 Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh is notably one of the worst offensive teams in the MLB, finishing dead last in runs scored last season. Jake Arrieta may be back; his performance to begin the season is undeniably impressive. Ultimately, however, his performance in the coming weeks could be more telling about his place in the Cubs’ rotation.
