CHICAGO -- These first-half grades come with a caveat: Not all players are graded on the same scale. Freshmen (rookies) get a break, while big-money veterans (seniors) are held to a higher standard.
MANAGEMENT
Front Office (GM Jed Hoyer pictured right)
It's simple. The Chicago Cubs' lack of starting pitching depth is a negative but the addition of Addison Russell, while bringing up Kyle Schwarber for a stint, were good moves. Plus, role-player additions of Chris Denorfia and Jonathan Herrera went under the radar but were solid. Their second-half grade is important as well.
Manager Joe Maddon
Consider: Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks started slow, the bullpen almost imploded in early May and the offense has been struggling for the past two months. Plus, he had a shaky defense early on. But Maddon has kept the ship afloat and the Cubs have won the second most one-run games in the league.
STARTING PITCHERS
Jon Lester
He was the toughest to grade, though it's much easier if you just consider the whole half and not try to break it down. His 3.59 ERA tells a good story. And the guess here is he would give himself about the same grade.
He actually had about five starts that were un-Arrieta-like but they came back in May and early June. He has been rolling for most of the first half, highlighted by his pitching a complete game and hitting a home run in Sunday's finale.
A little dip late in the half may have cost him an All-Star bid but his 0.95 WHIP jumps off the page. He had a good first half last season for the Cubs -- this one was even better.
Kyle Hendricks
Talk about an up-and-down half. He ended it on a 22-inning scoreless streak but had six starts earlier in the year in which he gave up four or more runs. His past three were top-notch.
Things started out well, then went south, then Maddon told him to be a "bad ass" and he pitched well again. The "minus" is for his oft-injured status.
RELIEF PITCHERS
Six of his 17 inherited runners have scored -- that's a little high. But his 36 strikeouts in 22 innings have come in handy.
He has quietly put together a nice first half in his return to the Cubs. Just two of his 23 inherited runners have scored and he has produced a 1.71 ERA. His 1.29 WHIP is a little high for a specialized lefty but it hasn't hurt him.
He hasn't been that bad as a reliever though he's a highly paid middle man and four of 11 inherited runners have scored on him. But he hasn't given up a home run and his ERA is only 3.19. What are you going to do?
Handed the fifth starter's role, he couldn't hold onto it, but he has thrown all right as a reliever. There has been some solid innings and some that he has been hit hard in, but his 1.27 WHIP is OK -- though a 4.40 ERA isn't.
He has absolutely pitched better than you think and the numbers support that. But Maddon never felt real comfortable with him closing so he has a different role. But how bad could he have been with a 2.17 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 12 saves with only three blown ones?
The only reason he gets a "minus" is for a stretch in May when he blew up, but he has more than righted the ship and falls into Rondon's category as pitching better than you think. His "problem" is he throws only in high-leverage situations, so when he has an off night, it's glaring.
The further he has gotten from his arm surgery the better he has looked. Did you know he has six wins and five saves in five opportunities? He's only in the game when it's on the line, and more often than not he has performed.
CATCHERS
He's still pretty good at pitch framing and he has shown pop, but he has warts to his game as well. His arm hasn't been much of a deterrent on the base paths while he has hit just .125 in game situations deemed late/close. That's last on the team. He still knows how to draw a walk though. Remember, a "C" means average, not awful.
You were expecting an "F" just because he's hitting .189? You don't actually think the Cubs are surprised by this, do you? His pitch framing is even better than Montero's and he has been every bit the clubhouse leader the Cubs expected.
INFIELDERS
He's easily the most dangerous hitter in the Cubs' lineup and his work against lefties -- from Clayton Kershaw to Chris Sale -- has been outstanding. His 46 strikeouts to 45 walks (plus 19 hit-by-pitches) might be his most impressive statistic.
Addison Russell
You might think with a .226/.296 slash line this grade is too high -- even for a 21-year-old rookie -- but it might be too low. His 1.1 Defensive WAR is second in the National League among second basemen. With time at his new position he has reduced the errors and most defensive metrics show him in the running for a Gold Glove already. And his 16 doubles is all you need to know about his potential. Chalk up the rest to youth.
The "plus" comes from a few game-winning hits but overall it has been an awful year for the five-year veteran. Sabermetrics aren't needed to analyze him as his .247 batting average, .283 on-base percentage and 15 errors -- many on routine plays -- tell the whole story.
Where would the Cubs be without his team leading 51 RBIs? Sure, he's on pace to strike out close to 200 times but his strikeout-to-walk ratio isn't far from 2-to-1. That works. He has reduced his miscues at third but needs to be more reliable with his arm.
Johnny Herrera
If you think that grade should be lower because of a .256 batting average, then you don't know how hard it is to come off the bench and produce. He's 4-for-16 as a pinch hitter and has been solid as a spot starter.
OUTFIELDERS
His batting average on balls in play is well below his career numbers. He has hit the ball hard with less to show for it than most and he has probably played a little better than expected in left field. Maddon must like him. He appeared in every game save the final one of the first half.
Chris Denorfia
He was on his way to a lost season with two different hamstring injuries but never stopped hitting in-between. His role as a leader has been understated as well.
It's a "D" if you just look at his on-base percentage (.308) compared to his past. It's bad. It's a "C" if you think he has played pretty well in center field and has been the recipient of the most head-scratching calls by home plate umpires this season.
He doesn't get quite the pass the other rookies do as he had extended time in the majors last season, but more often than not he has looked like a different hitter this time around. He's had little feel with men in scoring position or the game on the line, but his defense has been pretty good.