Newsflash; the Chicago Cubs are good. Very good.
Coming into the 2016 season, most expected the Cubs to be one of the top teams in the National League. Not only are they good; they’re turning Major League Baseball into their own personal playground this year.
In addition to having the best record in baseball and having the largest division lead of any current division leader, take a look at that run differential. Chicago isn’t just beating other teams, they’re straight up taking their lunch money.
Chicago Cubs Could Be Most Dominant Team of All Time
For some perspective, a +170 run differential isn’t just good, it’s historically good. The 2016 version of the Cubs stack up against some of MLB’s all-time best teams.
Teams yearn for a balanced rotation, and would be thrilled if the fourth and fifth starters could soak up some innings and pitch to a four-something ERA. Cubs starters laugh at that notion, as the starters currently have a 2.31 ERA. Hell you could make the argument that the entire Cubs staff should be at the All-Star Game this year.
North Siders Report took a look at the historical dominance of Chicago’s pitching staff and found out the last team to finish with a better team ERA than the Cubs current 2.67 was the 1972 Baltimore Orioles who had a 2.53 ERA.
So we know Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and crew are great; but don’t sell the Cubs lineup short by any means.
Currently, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, Dexter Fowler and Anthony Rizzo rank in the top 30 in all of MLB as it pertains to WAR rankings. Only the Boston Red Sox have as many players that high in the rankings, and they could only wish their pitching was half as good as the Cubs.
In terms of all-time best lineups, the 1927 New York Yankees “Murderer’s Row” is the standard by which any team is measured. As NSR and Fangraphs point out, that Yankee team had a total team WAR of 66.3, which is the highest in the modern era. These Cubs are on pace to blow past that mark with a team WAR of 73.
The scary thought is, the Cubs lineup could and in some regards should be even better. Although he’s starting to heat up now, big-ticket free agent Jason Heyward has gotten off to a slow start. Promising shortstop Addison Russell has had an up and down year, as well. Not to mention the team lost Kyle Schwarber at the start of the season.
Reason to Worry?
While the Cubs appear to be an unstoppable juggernaut, the team isn’t without flaws. Perhaps the most glaring issue the team has lies in the bullpen, where a number of relievers have struggled throughout the season. It wouldn’t be a shock if Theo Epstein tapped in to the deep farm system and acquired some top flight upgrades to turn this weakness into a strength.
Times are certainly good on the North Side of Chicago this year, but I would be remiss if we didn’t address the obvious elephant in the room; the Cubs lack of a World Series win since 1908. These Cubs are historically good, and might just have the best regular season of all-time. However, as we just learned from the Golden State Warriors, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
Chicago can fill up the stat sheet all it wants during the regular season, but it won’t mean a thing unless it translates into success in October.
But here’s something to put Cubs fans at ease; if Cleveland can win a championship in 2016, anyone can.
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