Is this the year? Rebuilt Cubs earn first playoff berth since 2008
Consider the Chicago Cubs officially rebuilt.
After a four-year process of stockpiling prospects and reshaping the entire organization’s layout, the hard work of team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer has paid off the club’s first playoff berth since 2008.
The only letdown to speak of on Friday is that the joy of their accomplishment wasn’t celebrated at Wrigley Field. The Cubs lost there early in the afternoon, falling to the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2. They clinched right around midnight in Chicago thanks to the San Francisco Giants 5-4 loss in Oakland.
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Nevertheless, expect Saturday’s atmosphere at Wrigley Field to be very festive as Cubs fans soak in the celebration and the Cubs themselves look to bounce back against their potential wild card opponents from Pittsburgh.
The NL Central title has not yet been decided, so the Cubs circumstances could still change over the next week. Still, it’s likely they’ll be traveling the scenic route if they intend to end their 70-year World Series appearance drought. That means a wild-card win, an NLDS win against the NL Central winner and then an NLCS victory. It’s the same route the Giants took in 2013 and the Royals took last season, so it can definitely be done.
As has been well documented, the Cubs haven’t won the World Seris since 1908. To have any chance at securing that elusive championship manager Joe Maddon will rely heavily on Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester. In fact, the pressure should be on Arrieta almost immediately as he seems like a good bet to start the wild-card play-in game. With a historic 0.86 ERA since the All-Star break, Arrieta has been more than up to the task. Things haven’t been as smooth for Lester, but his postseason experience in Boston will come in handy.
Beyond those two, the Cubs have struggled to find a reliable option. Jason Hammel, Kyle Hendricks and Dan Haren are the options Maddon will consider. He’s even hinted at a bullpen only game should the Cubs get deep into October. It’s not ideal, but it doesn’t necessarily spell doom either.
On the other side, the Cubs will enter October with one of the most dynamic lineups among playoff teams. Kris Bryant set team rookie records with his 26 home runs and 98 RBIs. Both marks were previously held by Hall of Famer Billy Williams. The Cubs are also getting major contributions from Starlin Castro, who has been locked in since moving to second base, and his double play partner Addison Russell. Then there’s rookie Kyle Schwarber, who at times has looked impossible to get out.
We haven’t even mentioned the Cubs real MVP on offense: first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Along with Castro, he’s been there through the bulk of the rebuild. He’s progressed at the same exceptional pace as his franchise, meaning superstardom is right around the corner. He should get some second and third place MVP votes for his 30-homer, 95-RBI campaign.
Something to watch closely though over the next week will be which way the Cubs are trending, especially offensively. They’ve been very streaky all season long, which could play a part in their postseason fate. If they heat up, that could bode well. When the offense is rolling, there are several tough outs in that order, and each is capable of turning a game around quickly. In the postseason, often times all it takes is that one game-changing hit.
Simply put, this is a very talented Cubs team that has just as good a chance as any contender to go the distance. In the NL, they’re probably the team you’d least like to see across the diamond.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
