Chicago Cubs aren’t yet the team to beat in NL
By Ryan Heckman
Some outlets have crowned the Chicago Cubs as the team to beat in the National League as of late. They haven’t quite earned that title just yet.
Jon Lester is proving to be worth double the amount he was paid by the Chicago Cubs just a few short years ago. The man is pitching lights out seemingly every night (two earned runs in 27 innings pitched this month) and has his team rolling on all cylinders right now.
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The Cubs are coming off a statement series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers as they now begin a series with the Cincinnati Reds — only to take on the Dodgers in yet another series immediately following their battle with the Reds.
Now that the Cubs have worked themselves into a virtual tie atop the NL Central, they are looking to put some separation between them and the Milwaukee Brewers. By all accounts, the Cubs look like they are about to take a turn in their season — a turn of dominance.
Some outlets have dubbed the Cubs as the team to beat in the National League, and I get the reasoning behind it — especially after the series victory over the Dodgers. But, they can’t quite sit comfortable behind that title just yet.
The Cubs are not the team to beat in the National League. Quite frankly, they still have some things to work through; most notably among their pitching rotation.
#Cubs GM Jed Hoyer says Yu Darvish could have a rehab start in the minors as soon as Monday and a return before the All-Star break is still in play: "If things go smoothly and he doesn’t have a setback, I think that’s a strong possibility."
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) June 20, 2018
Working Yu Darvish back into the rotation will be interesting as Mike Montgomery has pitched near-perfectly for the Cubs in his absence. Some have suggested the Cubs going to a six-man rotation, but who knows whether or not that will happen.
The Cubs have to prove the bottom half of their rotation is worth a lick if they are to be labeled as the team to beat. Come playoff time, pitching becomes the most important aspect of your title chances. Chicago can’t afford to watch Tyler Chatwood throw away a game or two with his ridiculously bad walk rate (20 percent), nor can they let Darvish destroy a fifth inning once more.
Are the Cubs a World Series contender? You bet. How can they not be? With so much going right as of late, the Cubs are absolutely within that conversation. Anthony Rizzo has battled back from an atrocious start to the season and now leads the team in RBIs with 48. Javier Baez continues to dazzle defensively and crank home runs while launching himself into the MVP conversation.
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The Cubs could enter the postseason right now and have a legitimate shot to win it all. However, I don’t know if they would be able to go the distance. The bottom half of that rotation needs to provide answers in the near future. Until then, I am not comfortable with the label of “team to beat.”