2013 has given Cubs fans more to root for than they probably planned coming into the season. As of July 11, the Cubs are just nine games back behind the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinatti Reds for the wild card, far surpassing expectations for the year.
One of the reasons the Cubs are in a position like this has to do with Jeff Samardzija, who has risen to the top of the Cubs' suddenly strong rotation.
The Valparaiso High School and Notre Dame alum was interviewed by Eno Sarris on FanGraphs, a data-driven baseball site, about how his pitches have evolved since coming into the majors, notably his slider and splitter.