If the season ended today, the Chicago Cubs would sneak into the postseason as a Wild Card team. Could they miss the postseason altogether?
The Chicago Cubs have established themselves as one of the National League’s best teams, to the tune of three straight NLCS appearances and a World Series championship. However, they have not been the same in 2018. If the season ended today, the Cubs would barely sneak into the postseason as a Wild Card team.
Now, the Cubs have reached a low point in their season. They were just swept in four games by the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs struggled in all facets of the game, but the pitching staff had an exceptionally rough go of it. In four games against one of the worst teams in the league, the Cubs’ pitching staff allowed 31 runs.
It is said that pitching and defense win games, which goes a long way in explaining the Cubs’ surprising skid.
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Getting swept at the hands of one of the worst teams in the league is frustrating, to say the least, but the Cubs have been inconsistent all year.
Yu Darvish, Jose Quintana, and Brian Duensing have each struggled on the mound. Meanwhile, Anthony Rizzo, Willson Contreras, and Kyle Schwarber headline their list of underperforming stars.
Perhaps some of the Cubs’ struggles have stemmed from a lack of leadership in the clubhouse. They lost two of their most notable leaders in Jake Arrieta and Dave Martinez following the 2017 season.
They still have some great leaders, such as Kris Bryant, Jason Heyward, Jon Lester, and Joe Maddon, but losing Arrieta and Martinez hurts.
The NL Central is also much improved in 2018. Each team currently has a better record than they did at this point last year, which will make the Cubs’ road to the postseason that much more difficult. It is worth noting that the Cubs were in second place behind the Milwaukee Brewers at this point last year and still won the division, but the Brewers have made great strides over the last year.
Like the NL Central, most of the National League has improved from a year ago. The Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Arizona Diamondbacks highlight the emergent contenders and would each make the postseason if the season ended today. If the Cubs are not able to catch the Brewers, they will have lots of competition for the two Wild Card spots.
All things considered, the Cubs will likely play into October. Their postseason experience is unmatched in the National League, and they are too talented not to improve. However, they do have some work to do to reach October and go on a deep postseason run.
Next: NL East trade deadline primer
The Chicago Cubs missing the postseason is unlikely, but it is not inconceivable.