MLB: Could the Giants Be Stealing Some of the Cubs’ Magic?
By Matt Weyrich
Don’t look now, but the San Francisco Giants are inching closer to the Chicago Cubs for the distinction of owning MLB’s best record.
It’s a great time to be a baseball fan. Superstars like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper roam the outfield grass, the living legend that is Clayton Kershaw toes the rubber every fifth day, and David Ortiz hasn’t hung up his cleats just yet. No team has won back-to-back World Series since the Yankees did it in 1999 and 2000, leaving the door open for clubs across the league to take a crack at winning a world championship.
Speaking of world championships, everyone and their mother has picked the Chicago Cubs to take home the Commissioner’s Trophy at the end of the season—and for good reason. Led by a young core that includes the likes of reigning Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant and two-time All-Star Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs have the look and swagger of the best team in MLB. Lately, however, the team is scuffling. They’ve lost four of their last five including a three-game sweep at the hands of the division rival Cardinals.
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Meanwhile, another competitor in the Senior Circuit with World Series aspirations has been hitting its stride. Make way for the San Francisco Giants, who just tied Chicago for the major league lead in wins. The Giants, who are 31-9 in their last 40 games, are only a game and a half behind the Cubs for the best record in the majors. Could they already be the better team?
San Francisco struggled out of the gate to start the season, fighting to stay around .500 through the first month and a half. Then on May 11, they started an eight-game winning streak that propelled them to the top of the NL West. A month later, they did it again, further cementing their status as serious title contenders.
With Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto pitching like Cy Young candidates, Buster Posey picking up right where he left off last season, and Brandon Belt in the midst of the best season of his career, the Giants look unstoppable. The team may not have the sparkling ERA or impressive run differential that the Cubs do, but the Giants win baseball games—and are doing it at a frightening pace. Did I mention it’s an even year?
Next: Giants Trade Deadline Overview
All due respect to the Nationals, Dodgers, and Mets, but the Cubs and Giants have separated themselves from the rest of the pack for the best team in the National League. Seeing either of these teams in the Fall Classic would be a treat for baseball fans across the country, but only one team can win the pennant. Right now, it looks like that team just might be a little farther West than most expected.