If Cubs Want To Make Playoffs, Marcus Stroman Has To Lead The Way

Marcus Stroman has had an impressive year so far in his second season with the Chicago Cubs. 

 

He recently got his 10th win of the season on July 15 against the Boston Red Sox. A victory that Stroman needed, especially after losing two of his last three starts prior.

 

The right-hander went six innings giving up one earned run and struck out three. Chicago has a chance to make a postseason run and Stroman knows that the division is up for grabs.

 

“Everyone’s always putting this emphasis on, ‘Oh, we need to play good in seven days, 10 days, and then we can be buyers,’” Stroman said in an mlb.com article. “But I truly don’t believe in that. This division’s wide open. And then if you even look deeper than that, as an organization, why would you not want to be competitive for multiple years, year after year after year?”

 

We all know that Stroman is a competitor and he wants to do whatever it takes to help his team be successful.

 

As the second half of the season is upon us, Stroman wants to continue to have that success he had during the first half.

 

After being named to his second all-star team, Stroman took full advantage during the break by resting his mind and body and getting ready for the second half. On the season, he has made 20 starts and has a 10-6 record with a 2.88 ERA and 101 strikeouts. 

 

Heading into all-star break, Stroman was struggling out there on the mound. There was a stretch where Stroman won seven consecutive games and was dominating. And then towards the end of June and going into July, he lost two straight games and had a no decision.

 

That’s not the way Stroman wanted to go into the break. But he made sure he was going to start the second half on a strong note.

 

Why Chicago needs to keep Stroman

 

There have been talks around the league that Stroman could end up on another team before the trade deadline which is August 1.

 

It makes sense why teams are interested in him. Why wouldn’t you want a player like that on your team? 

 

He’s on pace to set a new career-high in wins and ERA this season. The Cubs need to hold on to this MLBbro and not make the same mistake the New York Mets made.

 

He’s also made it clear that he wants to stay in Chicago as well. Stroman leads the team in wins and is second in ERA and the Cubs are in the middle of the pack in the division with a lot of baseball left to play.

 

If Chicago wants a shot at making the postseason, then Stroman needs to stay on the team. You have someone who has appeared in the playoffs twice in his career and is looking to get back there for the first time since 2016. So, you know Stroman is motivated out there and wants to keep playing well into September. 

 

This will be an exciting and interesting second half of the season for Stroman. We can see him stay in Chicago or he may be rocking a different jersey.