Andy Johnson

In baseball, there is a linear relationship a lot of times, too.

You're getting what you're paying for to some extent.

Now, we've said this before.

Here are the Pirates who are a lot of people's hipster, sexy pick to try to win the Central.

And I see why, given the improvement and given the maturation of Paul Skeens.

And O'Neal Cruz decided to pick this series to play like a baller in center field.

Had a great sliding catch on Friday, if you guys recall.

But...

All of that said, this is a Cubs team that is supposed to produce more.

We know that.

And when it gets to 0 for 30, what I thought was really interesting about the retort from Craig Council was that we talk a lot about hard hit ball rate and how that affects this team.

And I think it is a good measurement.

Jordan Bastion did a lot of good work on it, too.

He said entering Saturday.

The Cubs had a 44.2% hard hit rate as a team.

That was good enough for fourth in the majors.

Is their offense fourth in the majors?

No, it is not.

And the team's 8.7% barrel rate per stack cast was tied for the seventh highest in baseball.

Well, we know that they weren't the seventh best offense, so we understand you may be making good contact, but you're hitting them where they are instead of hitting them where they ain't.