Chicago Cubs: Trevor Williams could be a hidden gem

Veteran starting pitcher Trevor Williams made his season debut for the Chicago Cubs on Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. Williams was brilliant on Monday as he carried a perfect game into sixth gaming as his dad and two brothers looked on from the stands. Williams finished the night by giving up two runs on two hits in six innings of work while earning his first win of the season.

Williams was an under-the-radar signing for the Cubs this off-season. Under the radar in the sense that the veteran starting pitcher struggled during his past two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Williams posted a 6.18 ERA (6.30 FIP) in 11 appearances during the 2020 season and a 5.38 ERA (5.12 FIP) in 26 appearances during the 2019 season.

Needless to say, the Cubs did not sign Williams with the full knowledge that he would be a factor in the team’s starting rotation at the beginning of the 2021 season. What the Cubs were hoping is that they can get Williams into their pitching lab and work with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy to re-discover the success that he had during the 2018 season.

During the 2018 season with the Pirates, Williams posted a 3.11 ERA (3.86 FIP) while starting 31 games. A large part of the reason for Williams’ success during the 2018 season was due to the fact that he had a plus slider with effective movement on his sinking fastball.

So, then the question becomes what was the difference for Williams in 2018 compared to 2019/2020? The difference is that Williams suffered an injury in between those seasons and his mechanics never quite returned to form. The Cubs and Williams noticed a mechanical flaw in Williams’ delivery that resulted in his throwing arm coming too far across his body.

Jordan Bastian broke down this discovery in his piece for MLB.com:

"Mechanically, Hottovy said Williams — who has a rare combination of a low release point and great extension — was pulling toward first base on his follow through, impacting his release point. The Cubs have been working with the righty on a more direct line to the plate.“When he’s moving right,” Hottovy explained, “and does all the things right up the chain, over the rubber, that front side kind of gets to home plate and then works back to him, versus gets to home plate, gets kind of pulled toward first base. Directionally, he’s in a much better place.”"

The initial result was a success for Williams as he shut down the Brewers’ offense on Monday night. Looking beyond his corrected delivery, Williams effectively used his slider and sinking fastball to thwart the timing of the Brewers’ hitters.

Entering the season, the Cubs starting rotation was a question mark for the team. Mainly due to the questions of success, if any, that would come from the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation. Williams proved on Monday night that he could be a hidden gem for the Cubs this season and if that proves to be true, the trajectory of the Chicago Cubs season could change dramatically.