MLB Roundtable: Dodgers and Cubs Are Off to Great Start, But What Are the Deficiencies?

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been as advertised out of the gate, and the Chicago Cubs are on a heater, winning each of their last 10 games. In fact, the two teams are in the midst of a three-game series in Los Angeles. Catch Game 2 of the series on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET on FOX. But what should we take from the two teams’ respective hot starts? Thanks to injury, 2025 rookie Roki Sasaki has just 54 regular-season innings under his belt as well as another 10.2 in the postseason. While his ERA was sparkling out of the bullpen, he still struck out just six batters and walked five, and similar troubles persist in 2026. How long can the Dodgers stick with Sasaki in the rotation if his control and command issues continue? Rowan Kavner: They’re intent on letting him work out his issues in the big leagues, despite the control problems that persist. They can survive Sasaki’s volatility when Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow are excelling atop the rotation — combined, that trio has a 1.91 ERA with 91 strikeouts and 18 walks this year — and when Justin Wrobleski is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA as the team’s sixth starter. Despite Sasaki’s unseemly 6.11 ERA and 1.87 WHIP, the Dodgers have the best starters’ ERA and WHIP in the National League. Those numbers should get even better when Blake Snell returns sometime next month. So, while I think Sasaki should either be in the bullpen or in the minors in a more controlled environment working on his erratic command and the development of his third pitch, it doesn’t sound like that will happen. Even when Snell is activated, the Dodgers, at least right now, are saying Sasaki won’t go to the bullpen. The control issues are concerning and ongoing, but at least holding his velocity in the upper-90s and missing more bats than he did last year. With top pitching prospect River Ryan currently on the shelf with a hamstring issue (and with the Dodgers being careful about Ryan’s innings after he missed last year recovering from Tommy John surgery), there aren’t a lot of obvious alternatives knocking down the door at the moment. Deesha Thosar: The Dodgers have the type of depth that other executives dream about, making it a no-brainer to let Sasaki work out his troubles and give him a long leash, at that. It’s not like Sasaki is that much of a detriment that he’s throwing the Dodgers’ bullpen out of whack. Though he’s allowed multiple runs in his last three starts, and is having trouble issuing walks, he’s averaging four-plus innings pitched each time out, which is manageable for now. In the meantime, Los Angeles can figure out whether Sasaki belongs in the rotation or the bullpen and hope something clicks to let him settle into the former. Sasaki’s command issues are a problem, no doubt. That 14.1% walk rate is up from last year. But, in a vacuum, that’s not hurting the club’s chances to compete in October. The only real red flag to watch out for with the young right-hander is any potential dip in velocity. His fastball lives in the upper 90s, and he’s able to repeat his mechanics while still generating swings and misses. So, now he has to settle in, pitch with confidence and find a balance that lets him thrive, not overthink, on the mound. Outfielder Andy Pages took a leap last summer, producing nearly a four-win season for the Dodgers that was overshadowed by their lineup of stars. He’s off to a scorching start in 2026: is this another jump in production, or just a hot April? Kavner: Pages is prone to these wild swings in which he’s running scorching hot for a few weeks and then ice cold for the next few. Last year, he had a .544 OPS with three extra-base hits through his first 20 games before producing a 1.056 OPS with 11 extra-base hits over his next 20 games. We might be seeing something similar now, but in the opposite order. Pages had a 1.186 OPS with nine extra-base hits through his first 16 games before falling back down to earth over the last week, registering a .500 OPS with no extra-base hits over his last eight games. So, no, I don’t expect him to be challenging for the batting crown at season’s end as he’s doing right now, and I do think he’ll have a month or two where he cools off considerably before heating back up again. But I also think this production is at least a bit more sustainable. His hard-hit rate and average exit velocity have skyrocketed from last year, and while he’s still below league average in walk rate, he’s at least shown more of a willingness to take a free pass when it’s given. Pages’ tendency to chase will make him vulnerable to ebbs and flows throughout the year, but he’s shown a slight improvement in his selectivity, and I think he could be poised for a career year with an OPS+ well above the 115 mark he finished with last season. Thosar: It’s always a positive sign to look at a third-year player’s Baseball Savant page and see flashes of bright red in all the right places. For Pages, those key areas setting him apart from the pack are an elite batting run value, hard-hit rate and expected batting average. Pages’ quality of contact has been excellent so far this season. Sure, Pages is likely to cool off some, as his high BABIP suggests he can’t maintain a top-three average in MLB all year. And when he does inevitably experience a dip at the plate, I’d like to see him chase less and walk more so that he can still get on base and be a factor for the Dodgers. But the underlying metrics are encouraging and suggest that this season could be the real deal. Pages could actually finish among the top 15 leaders in batting average if he improves his chase rate and  remains consistent with his plate approach. The Cubs are looking like a contender as expected despite getting absolutely nothing offensively out of first baseman Michael Busch and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Are you concerned that the struggles of either will be a long-term issue? Kavner: Yes, although right now I’m almost more confused than concerned about Busch. The declines in hard-hit rate and exit velocity are so steep and dramatic compared to what he was doing last year that I wonder if he’s been playing through something. He has the largest dropoff in average exit velocity (from 92.2 mph last year to 83.4 mph this year) of any qualified hitter in MLB, his bat speed has been slower, and he’s not pulling the ball in the air nearly as often. There was a moment last April when his exit velocity was down, so maybe he just needs the weather to warm up to start looking more like himself. The series against the Phillies have been much more encouraging. With Crow-Armstrong, the defense and speed provide such a reliable baseline of value, but I don’t know if we can expect him to put together a full season of the first half he had last year — one that would put him in the MVP conversation, as he was trending toward in 2025 before the late-season dropoff — until or unless he gets his whiff and chase rates more under control. Going back to the start of last August, he has the third-lowest wRC+ among all qualified hitters. In that time, he has just five home runs and a .563 OPS in more than 300 plate appearances, and his career OPS is down to .714, right around a league-average hitter. He’s still only 24, though, and already has a 30-30 season under his belt, so we know what he can do when he’s in the zone. It’s now a matter of finding a way to sustain what he had. Thosar: I’m not as concerned about Busch as I am about Crow-Armstrong as far as plate production. Last season, Busch had a slow start in April and May before he took off in the warmer months. He’s already started to show signs that he’s turning it around, suggesting he could find his groove at the plate even earlier than his hot June last year. There’s no question he’s been a major disappointment for the Cubs to start the season, and his reduced bat speed is something to keep an eye on. But for now, Busch’s track record is working in his favor. As far as PCA, he’s starting the season similarly to the way he ended it last year, which is slightly concerning. The outfielder experienced a harsh second-half slump in 2025, with his OPS dropping to a dreadful .446 in 28 August games. In the early going, opposing pitchers are exposing PCA’s rotten plate approach. He’s elite at chasing the ball out of the zone, to the point where it’s actually a mistake for an opposing pitcher to throw him a strike. He’s more likely to swing and miss on balls low and away, and his barrel rate is half of what it was last year. PCA will always provide value defensively, and it’s a great sign that the Cubs are winning despite his offensive struggles. It’s too early to panic, but these seem to be lingering issues at the plate for the 24-year-old. Chicago has received serious production from 22-year-old designated hitter and catcher Moises Ballesteros, after a short but impressive debut in 2025. Expecting an Aaron Judge impression for the season is likely optimistic, but what kind of year do you see the rookie having in ‘26? Kavner: The kid can flat-out mash right-handed pitching, possessing a rare combination of bat-to-ball skills, power and the ability to control the zone. He’s also doing a better job of getting the ball in the air, which should lead to more home runs considering his penchant for hard contact. Because the Cubs aren’t exposing him to lefties and are mostly keeping him off the field— there are questions about his defensive abilities behind the plate, and at 5-foot-8 it’s tough to imagine him moving elsewhere full-time — he’s providing the best version of himself without getting overexposed. While it might be tough for him to contend for the NL Rookie of the Year Award when he’s barely playing the field, I wouldn’t be surprised if he remains a well above-average hitter the rest of the way with 15-20 homers and staggering rate stats. His bat is legit and impossible to ignore, even if his .400+ BABIP is unsustainable. Thosar: Encouragingly, Ballesteros has continued where he left off in his major-league cameo last September, when he recorded a .999 OPS in 46 plate appearances. So far this year, he’s been able to increase his bat speed and hard-hit rate, and as we’ve discussed with other slow-starting hitters, Ballesteros would be forgiven if he struggled to get going in April. Instead, there are talks around Wrigleyville of wanting the Cubs to extend this kid. One of the most encouraging signs of his hot start is how well he’s squaring the ball. Ballesteros has slashed his ground-ball rate from 62.2% in 2025 to 38.1% this year. He’s hitting the ball in the air more, with an apparent intent on getting out in front of it. None of these things are flukey. Ballesteros is staking his claim as Chicago’s up-and-coming DH. Read More

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