Chicago Cubs: 3 benefits of 60-game season over other teams

No second half letdown

One final reason why the Cubs could actually benefit more than most teams with a shortened schedule is the fact that there will be less wear and tear on their bodies. Obviously this bodes true for every team that’s playing, but if you’re looking for specific evidence as to why this benefits the Cubs in particular, here are some noteworthy examples.

Over the past few seasons, the Cubs have often faded down the stretch in the final month of the regular season. Blaming it on fatigue and injuries occurring throughout the roster, the Cubs just feel like one of those teams that plays much older than their actual age as a collective unit. Maybe that’s precisely why former manager, Joe Maddon was seemingly juggling through different lineup cards and pitching changes more frequently than any other manager in baseball.

Looking at last year’s standings heading into September, the Cubs’ record was 73-62. They were only 2.5 games out of first place in their division, and were slotted as the second wild card team. Unfortunately, a September letdown ended up sending the Cubs home early, watching other teams who didn’t fade down the stretch play postseason baseball.

In the month of September, the Cubs went 11-16 to close out the season. Dismal…to say the least, but hardly surprising if you are familiar with how the Cubs generally play the past few seasons.

Going back to 2018, heading into the month of September, the Cubs were 79-55, sitting a comfortably 3.5 games ahead of the rival Saint Louis Cardinals in first place in the NL Central. Fast forward to the end of September, and the Cubs ended up losing their division lead to the surging Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs ended up going 16-13, but lost some crucial games down the stretch against the Brewers, who appeared way more energetic and focused than them.

If Major League baseball employed the same “load management” tactics that the NBA does on a regular basis with its star players, the Cubs would definitely be a prime candidate to do the same, given how they’ve struggled when playing a boat-load of games without days off in between.

Now, there’s no excuse for the Cubs to falter due to fatigue from having played so many games. In fact, given the new scheduling, the Cubs don’t have to travel outside of their own division. They don’t have to travel cross country to the West Coast to play teams like the Washington Nationals or Los Angeles Dodgers.

All this should bode well for the Cubs moving forward. As a result, there’s a strong possibility that this shortened season will prove to be a blessing in disguise for them.