Chicago Cubs: 5 questions demanding answers, and quickly

5. Will Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant get back to All Star form?

It is truly a testament to how much talent the Cubs have on their roster when they have been able to put themselves in position for another World Series run without their top two players performing at their best. Both Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant have had somewhat disappointing seasons to this point.

Not to say they have been bad in 2018, but both Bryant and Rizzo haven’t been up to snuff in comparison to past seasons. Bryant, of course, is dealing with injury at the moment and will hopefully be back healthy and better than ever in time for a push down the stretch.

The biggest question for Bryant is where in the world his long ball went. With only 11 homers this season, he’s going to come a good amount short of his 29 last year and 39 the season prior.

Rizzo has had some good stretches and bad stretches this season, and I know most fans would love to see him at his best come playoff time. Compared to the last four seasons, Rizzo’s batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage are all down significantly (.260/.358/.436). He is still pacing for another 100-RBI season, but those extra base hits aren’t quite where he’s capable of getting them.

We know that in the past couple of postseasons, both Rizzo and Bryant have had their share of struggles.

What I get excited imagining is if both are at their peak performance come September and October. If they can get to the level we know they are capable of by then, this team could be borderline unbeatable.