Chicago Cubs: Competition from the AL

The Chicago Cubs are beginning to feel pressure from teams in both leagues for ownership of MLB’s best record.

The Chicago Cubs got off to a red-hot start at the beginning of the season, going 25-6 in their first 31 games. They continued their dominance through the month of May, finishing May with a record of 35-15. June hasn’t been as kind to the Cubs, slowing their historic pace with a record of 13-11 so far this month. Although the hype train for the Cubs hasn’t slowed a whole lot, teams have begun to prove themselves as worthy competitors for the mighty Chicago Cubs.

Both the Giants and the Nationals in the National League have proved they are ready to compete for the title of best in the NL by beating the Cubs in June. However, there had yet to be a team in the American League to establish themselves as a true competitor for the Cubs. Well, wait no longer.

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The Texas Rangers have been on an absolute tear over the past month-plus, matching the Cubs’ impressive stretches with an 18-6 June to give them an overall record of 49-27. That record is just about the same as the Cubs record of 48-26, with the Cubs having a very slight edge in winning percentage. Regardless of the minute details, the Rangers have showed that they are the real deal in the American League, and that they will be ready to compete with the best clubs in either league down the stretch.

Just like the Cubs, the Rangers have a couple young stars in their midst. The Cubs have many more of them, yes, but the Rangers have been helped greatly by the presence of Nomar Mazara, and more recently Jurickson Profar. Mazara has put up great numbers this season for the Rangers, hitting .286/.336/.435 with 11 home runs and a wRC+ of 101. Profar was red-hot following his promotion to the big leagues, all while playing multiple positions over the last several weeks.

Both of the teams have faced their fair share of injuries, but both have managed to persevere through those injuries to still win games. The Cubs have had positional injuries while the Rangers have had pitchers injured left and right. The fact that these clubs can both win that the rate they have without their full rosters of players indicates just how good they are.

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The Cubs haven’t had a true competitor stick with their MLB-best pace for long all season. The Rangers may be a team that is able to do it. They have played well despite missing their ace Yu Darvish for essentially the entire season, and just recently having Colby Lewis placed on the disabled list. An already dangerous team will become even more dangerous when they regain their two best pitchers down the stretch.

The Rangers may give the Cubs a run for their money in the hunt for the best regular season record. Adding two good pitchers to an already good team could help the Rangers down the stretch in their hunt for 100+ wins. It is fun to watch either of these teams play baseball, surely.

Should the Cubs be worried about the Rangers? Right now, absolutely not. The Rangers play in the American League and will only face the Cubs in three games this season. The outcomes of Rangers games will have little to no effect on the outcomes of Cubs games. However, no longer having clear dominance over all of Major League Baseball could have an effect on the team. Whether that effect will be positive or negative is up for debate.

The Cubs have handled every obstacle thrown at them pretty well. In the first week of the season they lost one of their young stars in Kyle Schwarber and learned to move on. Throughout the rest of the season they have lost various players to injury for various amount of time and moved on. They have endured slumps from their best players by having the rest of the team pick them up.

Next: Rangers' Profar (Finally) Here to Stay

It appears as though they are primed to handle any adversity thrown their way. These are no longer the cursed Cubs who wait in anxious despair for the next tragedy. No, these Cubs are prepared to endure the pressure that comes with being on the team with the longest World Series drought. If that means battling their way through a swarm of good National League teams and one very good American League team, so be it. They are prepared.