Why The Cubs Can Steal The NL Central

At the all-star break, it seemed as though the Cubs would be selling at the trade deadline and missing the postseason a third straight year. However, after getting off to a hot start after the break, Chicago finds itself in the race for the NL Central. Unlike their division rivals, the Cubs have both the hitting and pitching to potentially steal the NL Central. Given the flaws that both the Brewers and Reds have, I believe the Cubs have an opportunity to win the NL Central.

A Big Offseason

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It has been two years since October baseball was seen on the north side of Chicago. The last time fans were present at a Cubs playoff game was 2018. This offseason, the Cubs spent $185,850,361 on player contracts. They added free agents Dansby Swanson, Jameson Taillon, Cody Bellinger, Brad Boxberger, Trey Mancini, and Michael Fulmer. With the number of free agents they added, many people expected the Cubs to be playing meaningful baseball this season.

A Slow Start To The Season

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Despite the big offseason, the north siders got off to a slow start. They finished the first half of this season in third place with a record of 42-47. The reason Chicago was still in the division race was neither the Reds nor the Brewers were running away with it. At that point, many people were expecting the Cubs to be sellers at the trade deadline. However, prognosticators don’t decide how a season goes, the players do.

A Hot Second Half So Far

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After the all-star break, the Cubs continued to struggle, losing four of their next seven games. However, an eight-game winning streak later in July propelled them to an above .500 record. This put them into the thick of the NL Central race and turned the Cubs from sellers into buyers. At the trade deadline, the Cubs traded for Nationals third baseman Jeimer Candelario to bolster the offense. Since he’s arrived in Chicago, Candelario has put up a slash line of .571/.640/.905 with an OPS of 1.545.  

The Reds Didn’t Address Their Roation

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Despite being ahead of the Cubs in the NL Central standings, the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds do have their flaws. The Reds pitching staff is among the worst in baseball and only the Royals, Rockies, and Athletics have given up more earned runs. Pitching is everything in this league and a team won’t get very far without it. Despite the glaring need, the Reds did nothing to address it during the trade deadline.

The Brewers Offensive Struggles

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Despite Christian Yelich looking like his old self again this season, the Milwaukee Brewers have one of the worst offenses in baseball. The only teams who have a lower OPS than the Brewers are the White Sox, Royals, Tigers, and Athletics. As an offense, the team is only averaging 4.22 runs per game. The only teams averaging fewer runs are the Pirates, Marlins, White Sox, Guardians, Royals, Tigers, and Athletics. However, the Brewers did add Carlos Santana and Mark Canha at the trade deadline to jumpstart their sluggish offense.

The Cubs Explosive Offense

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Unlike their two division rivals, the Cubs have a balance of both hitting and pitching. As a team, the Cubs offense has an OPS of .755. Only the Braves, Rangers, Dodgers, Angels, Rays, Red Sox, and Cardinals have registered higher OPSs. The Cubs offense is also putting up an average of 5.13 runs per game. The only teams that are averaging more runs are the Rangers, Braves, Dodgers, and Rays.

Positive Contributions From The Pitching Staff

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Pitching wise, the Cubs are right in the middle of the pack with a team ERA of 4.10. While the pitching staff is doing just enough to win, I believe when ace Marcus Stroman returns from the IL the staff will be better. It certainly has been huge that Justin Steele is having a career year and after a rocky first half, Jameson Taillon has been pitching way better as of late. Last month, Taillon put up an ERA of just 2.67. Adbert Alzolay has established himself as the team closer and Mark Leiter Jr. and Julian Merryweather have become trusted relievers too.  

The Cubs Can Steal The NL Central Away

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Since their eight-game win streak, the Cubs haven’t lost a series since July 16^th. This included getting a big sweep against the Reds and taking two of three games against the Braves. While the Brewers and Reds may be ahead of them in the standings, neither is a balanced team. They both only have one ingredient to try to win when a team needs more than one. The Cubs appear to have all the ingredients necessary to steal the NL Central away.

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