Chicago Cubs: Have we been underestimating them this postseason?

Are the 2017 Chicago Cubs somehow flying under the radar?

Coming off their first World Series title in over a century, the Chicago Cubs are primed to make the Fall Classic for the second straight season after defeating the favored Washington Nationals last night in the nation’s capital — in a 9-8 thriller — advancing to the NLCS to face the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Unlike last season, where the Cubs were just flat-out dominant during the 162 game slate — not trailing one day in the NL Central — this season has been underwhelming at times, but here we are again with the Cubbies back in the NLCS.

Looking at their lineup and pitching staff — minus a few studs — the Cubs (on paper) are not nearly as good of a baseball team as their 2016 squad, with their offense slightly more productive, but nearly identical as a season ago. Looking at their overall statistics, here’s how the past two seasons compare:

2016:

• Wins: 103
• ERA: 3.15
• Runs allowed: 556
• Batting average( non-pitchers): .263
• Homeruns: 199
• Runs scored: 808

2017:

• Wins: 92
• ERA: 3.94
• Runs allowed: 695
• Batting average( non-pitchers): .263
  Home runs: 223
  Runs scored: 822

The Cubs drop-off in pitching is just eye popping, with their team ERA sky-rocketing nearly a full earned run, yet somehow they came close to winning 100 games just like last season.

They also had to use their closer Wade Davis as early as the 7th inning last night — throwing 44 pitches in the process — with no one else out of the ‘pen they could trust in crucial situations. That normally spells disaster, but it seems to always work out for Maddon and his Cubs, somehow.

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How have they made it all the way to this point with so many gapping holes? The quick answer is Joe Maddon. Going back a few years, look what he did in Tampa Bay where he was consistently competing with the Yankees and Red Sox for playoff spots, yet somehow, within that gauntlet of a division, he emerged from the battle on a few occasions,  making the postseason three times, including a World Series appearance in 2008.

An assortment of luck — with the call in the bottom of the 8th of last night’s game going their way as a prime example, when Maddon challenged a play that normally isn’t considered for review, which was then reversed, killing all of the momentum for the Nationals.

He also instilled a grit and killer-instinct within his players, with this tweet saying it all:

Next: St. Louis Cardinals 2017 recap, look ahead to 2018

We once again revert back to Maddon, who always picks the right spots to challenge and put his team in the right position to win, even with less talent than a season ago.

The Cubs now travel to sunny Southern California to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers, who look to end a World Series drought of their own. The Dodgers should win this upcoming series with ease, but the overrated Cubs just have that luck, managing — magic really — which is hard to combat or predict.