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Chicago Cubs Fall Short of Ultimate Goal in MLB The Show 17 Simulation

By Dan Schmelzer

Oct 22, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras (40) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning of game six of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras (40) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning of game six of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Cubs come up short in an awesome MLB The Show 17 season simulation.

Anything short of a repeat World Series championship will be a disappointment for the 2017 Chicago Cubs. They are loaded with talent throughout the roster and are undoubtedly among the favorites to win it all.

However, that is far from guaranteed. The baseball season is a long grind and no matter how good you are, you have to catch some breaks. The Chicago Cubs apparently did not catch enough breaks in a recent MLB The Show 17 season simulation by Daniel George over at App Trigger.

In the simulation, the Cubs did repeat as National League Central champions but did not win it all. They finished the season a full five games ahead of the second-place St. Louis Cardinals in the division. The Cubs finished the year with a 91-71 record. While that is obviously strong, their +182 run differential suggests that they probably ran into some tough luck.

In comparison, the 2016 Cubs had an incredible +270 run differential last season. The next closest team was the Boston Red Sox at +176. In the simulation, the Cubs’ +182 run differential was only second to the +201 put up by the 100-62 Los Angeles Dodgers.

After a strong regular season, the Cubs fell in the National League Divisional Series. They were defeated by the NL East champion New York Mets, three games to two.

George specifically noted strong season performances by Kris Bryant (.264/.364/.495 slash line with 31 home runs), Anthony Rizzo (4.8 WAR), Willson Contreras (4.4 WAR), Addison Russell (3.6 WAR) and their impressive starting pitchers. There was also a mid-season trade for Russell Martin, which is weird because Contreras’ 4.4 WAR shows that he was a stud behind the plate.

The Cubs did not fare well in the season awards, only showing up twice. Hilariously, Jon Lester won the National League Gold Glove for pitchers. I guess he got over his inability to throw to first base. Willson Contreras was selected as the National League Silver Slugger for the catcher position.

Next: 2017 Cubs Preview: Position-By-Position Breakdown

In the grand scheme of things, this simulation means nothing. However, it is an extremely fun piece to check out.

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