Yu Darvish's 2nd Half Stats for Cubs Have Been Absolutely Unreal

At the outset of the season, it seemed like 2019 was another year in which Yu Darvish was destined to disappoint. The Chicago Cubs starter struggled to find his command and was absolutely abysmal through the early going.

But since the start of the second half, he's been on an absolute tear, pitching to the tune of a 2.44 ERA across his last 66.1 innings of work. Perhaps the most eye-popping stat of all, though, is that he's managed 93 strikeouts against just six walks in that span.

Talk about dominance! The man has everything going his way, and he's almost singlehandedly kept the Cubs afloat in their chase for a spot in the playoffs. If not for him, they would almost certainly be in dire straits.

On the whole this year, Darvish has pitched to the tune of a respectable 3.97 ERA with 204 strikeouts.

He's turned in some truly masterful performances for the Cubs in the second half, many of which have showcased his impressive improvements in command. The walks have been limited drastically despite the fact that he's rolling out a seven-pitch arsenal every night.

He's been everything the Cubs could have possibly hoped for. Darvish has stepped up in a way that few could have predicted, especially in the wake of a slew of injuries to stars on the offense and pitching staff alike.

And when they needed him the most on Thursday, in an attempt to stave off disaster? 14 Ks.

Darvish has kept them afloat, and if he keeps this up, he could very well be the reason the Cubs get a chance at the postseason.