I trust how much my ball moves. I can throw it at you or this far off the plate and have it end up on the black. That's where I kind of went to the next level. I knew what all my pitches were doing. Even in '14, I didn't have that ability.

I expect to beat everybody I play. It's kind of that quiet confidence that I have inside that I try to present to the opponent without getting too overboard. Because there are times when I seem composed, but inside I'm losing my mind.

You really want to try to continue to pile up outs as often as you possibly can. Whether they get a hit or not really doesn't affect the way you continue to approach that lineup, especially with a five-run lead.

Sequencing is a really big factor in preparing for a team that you've faced several times. For me, at the end of the day, I feel like if I execute, regardless if I were to use same sequencing as I have in the past against these guys, I still feel confident in my ability to have success.

I've always been in good shape. I just sucked early in my career from a statistical perspective.

Early in my career, I wasn't good in the strike zone early. I was good in the strike zone late, which is not a good thing.

At an early age, if you develop a delivery or a throwing motion that is direct to the plate, then that's fine. If you have one that's slightly open, that's fine, too.

You play your surroundings. You pitch accordingly. Not that I drastically try to change my game plan based on the score or the team or stadium, but you have to take everything into consideration.

I repeat my delivery consistently. My balance is much improved. And the mental and physical toughness Pilates requires to complete movements the correct way have directly helped me on the mound.

I was in Baltimore in 2012 and 2013.

I don't like to see any sucker punches. I do think, in the heat of battle, if you're getting hit on the hip with 98, then you should be able to go out and see somebody.

I like my chances toe to toe with just about anybody.

There are so many things on Twitter, so many mentions, it's hard to get through all of them.

You feel everybody has your best interests in mind, but you come to find out that's not necessarily the case.

I don't think I've ever been as humbled as I have been in Pilates. It's incredible how much body control and how much isolated strength you have to have to complete these movements successfully.

That's one of my focuses, is to increase my flexibility and strength and have greater range of motion.

I wouldn't want to disappoint my family, my friends, my fans.

At the end of the day, all we're trying to do is get the hitter off balance. Get him in a position where he's not strong in the strike zone.

With a runner at second base with nobody out, you're trying to punch somebody out. You understand when there are guys in scoring position; hitters like to be aggressive early.

I'm not really into the statements kind of thing.

People asking my teammates, 'Is Arrieta a guy who'd try to cheat the system?' Honestly, hearing that kind of stuff come from some of the best players in baseball is honestly a compliment. I view it that way.

Typically, being under the strike zone with the sinker isn't a big issue. I need to be a little bit higher with the strike zone earlier in the count. If you miss under with one here and there when you're ahead, it's really not an issue.

If I have to leave, I don't want to leave without another ring.

Dry deliveries. That helps when I get the ball back in my hand - like I never really stopped throwing. The goal for me is to increase arm strength.

The numbers are hard to control.

Immersing myself in the Wrigleyville area was special to me and my family.

There's not many guys that can pitch at the top of the rotation floating around the league.

I'm probably throwing down close to 10,000 calories. And then I don't eat for three or four days.

Sometimes, when I break my hands, I kind of go too far behind my body, and what that will do, wherever my right arm's going to go, my left arm's going to go.

It's just a continuous process, trying to work through it, trying find that comfort zone and go from there. That's kind of where I'm at. I feel pretty good about where I'm at.

I had teammates like Chris Davis. Manny Machado was really young and such a good kid. Seeing his development, it's ridiculous. He's going to get bigger. He's going to get stronger. He's going to get even better.

I wouldn't change anything I went through for the world, because it got me here.

People have confidence in you. It's easy to have confidence in somebody that's going out there every night and giving the team a chance to win.

How many people can do what I do, anyways? A handful of guys?

You can struggle for a little while. It's going to happen. If a guy hits .200 for a while, it doesn't mean he's a .200 hitter.

Everyone wants to have a career year, but if I stick to what I'm doing, I like my chances. I'll be fine.

It's one thing to have a scouting report and not be able to execute it, and it's completely different if you're able to kind of work your way through that report, attack guys certain ways, use different sequences, and be effective with them.

I've been through a lot in my career, and the failure that I've gone through makes me really appreciate the moments of success much more.

We know St. Louis is a great club. They have been for a long time.

You want to be the team that is on the field when the last out is made on the winning side. That's obviously the holy grail in the game that I play, and that's what every player strives for.

I consider myself a really good racquetball player. I'm sure that I would get waxed by some actually good racquetball players, but I consider myself a pretty versatile athlete.

The back hair doesn't get all that long; it's just really thick. So if I don't keep it shaved once a week, it's a problem, and it could take two hours. And my wife's got to do it, so it's her problem. I told her we just need to buy a laser hair removal machine because it would take three or four years and probably 50 sessions to get rid of it.

Look at all of the pitchers getting six- and seven-year deals at 30, 31, and 32. You see what's going on and the money that's out there. You'd be a fool not to try to benefit from that, or at least try to get what you feel you're worth.

I know the Cubs don't typically do six- or seven-year deals, but I think there are obviously times when there should be exceptions. I think I've done pretty well here.

As you get a little older, you understand what you need to do to be good, regardless of who likes it or doesn't like it. It's my career. And at the end of the day, it's going to be how I think I can do it best.

I feel, that I'm only going to get better.

Everybody here has the ability to throw a fastball down and away or throw a breaking ball in the dirt for a swing and a miss. But are we able to stay in that moment and understand what we're trying to accomplish and see it in our mind before we execute and then make the pitch?

Sports psychology or mental training has been viewed as a weakness, and I think that's a pretty silly way to look at it.

Really being able to harness my mental approach has kind of taken me to the next level, and obviously maturing as a player and a teammate and as a person. Those are things that are necessary to achieve success in this game. There's no other way around it.

A lot of guys are starting to get away from trying to jerk these heavy weights and throw all these heavy weights around.