The 2024 MLB season has officially kicked off recently, with last year’s World Series champions, the Texas Rangers, facing off against the Chicago Cubs in their first game of the season at home. They also officially unveiled a large banner celebrating last year’s World Series championship and embroidered a commemorative medal on the sleeves of their jerseys for this game, marking their victory.

The starting pitchers for the game were Justin Steele for the Cubs and Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers, both of whom were among the most reliable starters for their respective teams last year.

It is worth noting that Wyatt Langford, the Texas Rangers’ first-round pick from the 2023 amateur draft, not only made the Rangers’ opening day 26-man roster for 2024 but also served as the team’s “fifth hitter" in this game, a role that carries significant responsibility within the lineup.

I have also included the highlights of this game from the MLB official YouTube channel here. As this series of articles (2 parts) focuses on analyzing the content of the game, the video link provided allows viewers to see the condensed highlights of the entire match.

The analysis is divided into 9 sections as follows:
1️⃣ Performance of Rangers’ starting pitcher – Nathan Eovaldi
2️⃣ Performance of Cubs’ starting pitcher – Justin Steele
3️⃣ Performance & management of both bullpens
4️⃣ Batting performance & offensive strategy of both teams
5️⃣ Defensive performance & strategy of both teams
6️⃣ Advantages the Rangers can utilize and disadvantages they need to overcome in the 2024 season
7️⃣ Advantages the Cubs can utilize and disadvantages they need to overcome in the 2024 season
8️⃣ Summary

This article will cover sections 1️⃣ to 3️⃣, and the next will cover 4️⃣ to 8️⃣.

1️⃣ Performance of Rangers’ starting pitcher – Nathan Eovaldi

Texas Rangers’ starting pitcher for this game was Nathan Eovaldi, one of the most consistent starters in their rotation last season. Last year, Eovaldi’s postseason performance was impressive, achieving a record of 5-0 with an ERA of 2.95 over 36 2/3 innings in 6 starts, often pitching at least 6 1/3 innings per game, contributing significantly to the Rangers’ first World Series title.

In this game, Eovaldi pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing 4 hits, striking out 3, walking one, and hitting a batter, conceding 2 earned runs. Of the 88 pitches he threw, 55 were strikes, showing a decent strike rate of 62.50%.

⚾️ Eovaldi’s pitch breakdown from the game:
(Figures from Baseball Savant)

Four-seam fastball / Usage: 43.18% (38/88)
/ Average speed: 95.8 MPH / Average spin rate: 2202 rpm
(Last year 95.1 MPH) (Last year 2168 rpm)

Split-finger fastball / Usage: 23.86% (21/88)
/ Average speed: 89.2 MPH / Average spin rate: 1725 rpm
(Last year 87.9 MPH) (Last year 1641 rpm)

Cutter / Usage: 21.59% (19/88)
/ Average speed: 90.4 MPH / Average spin rate: 2307 rpm
(Last year 90.6 MPH) (Last year 2325 rpm)

Curveball / Usage: 11.36% (10/88)
/ Average speed: 77.1 MPH / Average spin rate: 1907 rpm
(Last year 76.0 MPH) (Last year 1956 rpm)

Eovaldi showed solid overall velocity and spin rate in this game, with both metrics exceeding last year’s averages for his most-used pitches (four-seam fastball and split-finger fastball). However, his pitch location was not ideal, with many pitches either too central or far from the strike zone, leading to a lower swing-and-miss rate of 13.64% (6/44) and more solid contact by the batters.

2️⃣ Performance of Cubs’ starting pitcher – Justin Steele

Chicago Cubs’ starting pitcher for this game was left-hander Justin Steele, who led the Cubs in starts last season. Over the past two seasons, Steele maintained an ERA in the low 3s (3.18 in 2022 and 3.06 in 2023), even earning an All-Star appearance last year. Notably, Steele had the lowest home run rate per nine innings among pitchers with over 162 1/3 innings pitched last season (0.7 HR/9), which significantly contributed to limiting opponents’ extra-base hits.

Steele started strong, pitching three hitless innings with 5 strikeouts and only one walk, effectively suppressing the defending champions’ lineup. However, he began to allow more solid hits in the fourth inning, conceding a run that tied the game.

Unfortunately, Steele suffered a muscle strain in his thigh while handling a bunt from Rangers’ Leody Taveras in the fifth inning, forcing an early exit from the game and potentially affecting his future availability. Given Steele’s importance in the Cubs’ rotation and his history of injuries, this situation could be particularly detrimental to the team’s pitching strategy.

In this game, Steele pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowed 3 hits, struck out 6, walked one, and was charged with one earned run. He threw a total of 67 pitches, 48 of which were strikes, showcasing excellent control.

⚾️ Steele’s pitch breakdown:
(Figures from Baseball Savant)

Four-seam fastball / Usage: 73.13% (49/67)
/ Average speed: 91.5 MPH / Average spin rate:

2435 rpm
(Last year 91.8 MPH) (Last year 2402 rpm)

Slider / Usage: 26.87% (18/67)
/ Average speed: 83.1 MPH / Average spin rate: 2651 rpm
(Last year 83.3 MPH) (Last year 2658 rpm)

Steele relies heavily on his four-seam fastball and slider, using these two pitches for 96.5% of his deliveries last year. His overall ability to generate strikeouts is attributed to his exceptional spin rates, which exceed the league average, particularly his fastball, which ranks high in the league for inducing swings and misses.

3️⃣ Performance & management of both bullpens

In this opening game of the 2024 season, it’s typical for teams to manage their pitchers conservatively due to early-season conditioning. Both starting pitchers were kept under 90 pitches (Steele exited early due to injury), with Eovaldi throwing only 88 before being pulled.

(Rangers’ bullpen)

Here’s how the Rangers’ relievers were used in this game:
Josh Sborz (RHP) / 1 1/3 innings / 16 pitches
Kirby Yates (RHP) / 1 1/3 innings / 22 pitches
Jose Leclerc (RHP) / 1 1/3 innings / 25 pitches
David Robertson (RHP) / 1 1/3 innings / 18 pitches

The Rangers used four relievers in a “one inning per pitcher" strategy, conceding just one unearned run due to a defensive error by catcher Jonah Heim. Despite winning the World Series last year, the Rangers’ bullpen had a below-average ERA of 4.77 during the regular season, ranking 24th. They made significant enhancements to their bullpen during the off-season, including acquiring Kirby Yates and David Robertson.

For 2024, Fangraphs predicts key roles for David Robertson (8th inning) and Jose Leclerc (9th inning), both of whom appeared in this game and are known for their strikeout capabilities, though their walk rates suggest some control issues. This could present challenges for the Rangers’ bullpen strategy this season.

(Cubs’ bullpen)

Due to Steele’s early exit, the Cubs used six relievers, facing more pressure than the Rangers. Despite not trailing for the first nine innings, they could not capitalize on their opportunities in the tenth, eventually losing after Drew Smyly allowed a walk-off hit by Jonah Heim.

Here’s the Cubs’ bullpen usage:
Julian Merryweather (RHP) / 0 1/3 innings / 4 pitches
Yency Almonte (RHP) / 0 1/3 innings / 12 pitches
Mark Leiter Jr (RHP) / 1 2/3 innings / 19 pitches
David Robertson (RHP) / 1 1/3 innings / 17 pitches
Adbert Alzolay (RHP) / 1 1/3 innings / 20 pitches
Drew Smyly (LHP) / 0 2/3 innings / 20 pitches

The Cubs’ bullpen had a middling ERA of 3.85 last season, ranking 13th in the league. Their record in close games and extra innings was less than stellar, largely due to some underperforming relievers. They made several acquisitions during the off-season to bolster their bullpen, including Hector Neris, who joined in January 2024.

With no game scheduled the following day, the Cubs’ bullpen had a chance to rest and regroup after a heavy workload in this game.

The next article (Part 2) will cover sections 4️⃣ to 8️⃣.

Sources:

• Baseball Reference
• Baseball Savant
• MLB Official Website
• Thomas Nestico X
• Wikipedia
• IT Band Aid
• Covers statistics
• MLB
• Chicago Cubs
• Texas Rangers