Even the good Cubs are getting screwed

Last week the easiest call of any postseason award went horribly wrong. If any player deserved any award without as much as a second thought it was Petecrow Armstrong winning the Platinum Glove for best defensive player at any position in the National League.

Well, shit. That doesn't look like Petecrow.

The Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. had also won the award in 2023, so when he and Petecrow tied for the NL league in outs above average with 24, I guess maybe you thought it might be close.

But nobody's better than Pete.

And it wasn't just because Boog Sciambi had been touting him for the award since about May. Petecrow really deserved it. Tatis is an excellent defender, but there can be only one, and it shouldn't have been him.

Last night they announced the National League Rookie of the Year. The two leading candidates were Drake Baldwin, a catcher for the Barves, who was good. He was a 3.3 WAR player, he drove in 80 runs and hit 18 homers. His production tailed off little in the second half, but he was a good player. He also played with the stress of a pennant race. Wait, no he didn't. The Barves went 76-86 and never contended for anything.

Cade Horton was a 2.0 WAR pitcher for a team that went to the playoffs. He finished the season 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA in 22 starts, and allowed just 95 hits in 118 innings. That's all good.

But, in the second half of the season Cade wasn't just good.