Dilip Vishnawat/Getty Images

Eddie Butler: The Cubs’ New Hope?

Can Butler be the reliable fifth starter the Cubs need?

Throughout any baseball season the success of a team can hinge on the littlest of things — Chemistry, timing, Matt Szczur’s bat and health.

Last season, the overall well-being of the Cubs’ pitching staff was very fortunate. The normal wear and tear of a long season usually finds a way to wreak havoc on a starting rotation. We’ve all seen it before — the first half surge of a team only to be greeted with the sick humor of the injury bug. Last year’s world championship team? They must have had repellent. Whatever it was, no such bug was seen impacting the starting five long term.

This year, with the signing of Brett Anderson, who has dealt with his fair share of injuries, depth became a top priority. Enter Eddie Butler, a former top 50 prospect with the Colorado Rockies who never could put it together in the majors. After injuring his rotator cuff during his first career start, he was never quite able to fully recover what made him so special in the first place.

On February 1st, the Cubs packaged James Farris and bonus pool slot number twenty-eight, for Butler and good ole’ bonus pool slot number ninety-four. Knowing that the righty would be a reclamation project, the move provided insurance in case of injury but also uncertainty in regards to whether or not he would even pitch in the majors this season for the Cubs.

That uncertainty vanished on Friday night in St. Louis. With the defending champs going through their fair share of troubles early on, it was refreshing to see Butler succeed in his first career start as a Cub. He pitched 6 innings, allowing 2 hits and only 3 walks. Known for being a pitcher who throws to contact, Butler was even able to register five strikeouts.

Per Fangraphs, Butler was able to command his fastball which reached a peak velocity of 96 miles per hour. The average velocity of that pitch throughout the night was 95, making his change-up a more effective strikeout pitch.

The velocity spike and the ability to throw the fastball for strikes (22 of 39) were huge factors. Butler’s biggest Achilles heel besides injuries has been command. He has an average of 3.97 walks per nine innings throughout his career. Friday, the command was on, and it made a difference.

If Butler’s resurgence continues, it will greatly help a staff that’s had poor luck. Chicago’s starting pitchers rank last in batting average on balls in play with an average of .319, even though they rank in the top half of the league in earned run average (4.41), fielding independent pitching (3.93) and expected fielding independent pitching (3.72). The starters haven’t been bad, but the fortune of the bunch has been sour. With Butler’s past, maybe the unluckiest of them all can turn the tide for the rest of the group.

In the coming weeks we will find out whether or not Butler’s performance was a fluke. For his career, he has a 6.26 ERA, 5.59 FIP and is a negative wins above replacement player “adding” -0.3 wins. One thing is for sure — if Butler can replicate his performance for weeks to come, don’t be surprised if the Cubs start to roll.

-Drew Edstrom is a Die-Hard Cubs fan. Although his last name ranks 25,643 in frequently used rankings, he still knows the Cubs are #1.-