Chicago Cubs: Three early observations of manager David Ross

The Chicago Cubs are off to a nice start under rookie manager, David Ross.

One week into the baseball season has seen the Chicago Cubs riding high and mighty at the moment, given their fast start beating division-rivals Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds to jump into first place in the NL Central. It’s early though, but when pressed with just 60 regular-season games to make a playoff push, the Cubs, led by first-year manager David Ross, couldn’t have afforded to get off to a slow start in division play.

Of course, just because on paper the Cubs look good right now, it’s still way too early to make any definitive observations regarding how they will perform the rest of the way. After all, over the past few seasons, the Cubs have proven to regularly go on hot and cold stretches that’ll make even the most passionate fans want to pull their hair out at times no matter what month they’re playing in.

With that being said, there are already plenty of positives … and some negatives to take out of the team’s early performance. After getting off to a slow start, the Cubs’ bats have been alive and well for the most part, and that’s without Kris Bryant performing up to lofty standards thus far. Meanwhile, the Cubs’ starting rotation, minus Yu Darvish‘s first start, has pitched lights-out, putting a much-needed smile behind David Ross’s masked face. Too bad the same can hardly be said about the bullpen, which led by Craig Kimbrel, has put everyone on their toes, nervously praying that a seven-run lead in the later innings is enough to squeeze out a victory.

Ross’s performance as a first-year manager doesn’t go under the microscope either. Only a handful of games to work with, but here are three notable observations made. Note: these observations can easily change as Ross gains more experience under his belt.