Bleacher Bums Forum

Keep in mind that Cubs drew 567 walks in 2015 and Royals drew 383 walks.  That is an enormous # of baserunners to the advantage of Cubs.  And, of course, Cubs outhomer Royals by a lot.

So, the modest difference in runs and counts between these clubs, noted above, is a product of Cubs drawing walks--even in two-strike counts.  So, if Fowler walks on a 3-2 pitch and Rizzo homers, Cubs get "credit" for a 2-strike run.  That is walking, not hitting. Can't emphasize that enough.  Walks are great but.....

It is very good that Cubs draw a lot of walks but lack of good contact hitting profile manifests itself in many ways--such as performance with 2 outs and runners in scoring position. Cubs still draw walks but hit miserably.  Cubs with RISP:  211-333-332.  Royals were 278-356-430.  Even though Royals had fewer 2 outs, RISP situations (725 to 766), Royals outscored Cubs 243 to 199 in these situations.  Royals even have much better iso power than Cubs in these situations.

And, of course, when you face better pitching in post-season, Cubs advantage in walks likely is going to be more modest.  Situational hitting becomes more important than in regular season.  Even the luck factor is advantageous to clubs who are good at putting the ball in play.

So, some can moan and groan about bad hitting luck in NLCS and try to obfuscate what is actually going on, the truth is that ridiculously high Ks is something to avoid, if possible, and 2-strike counts suck. 

Let's keep the homers and walks and do something about the weaker components of the offense.  We know what those are.