The Chicago Cubs are the main favorite to win the World Series, and their status became clearer with their impressive win over the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS. As if that wasn’t enough, their biggest threats in the American League – the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers – both lost in the ALDS.
The Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Indians will square off in the ALCS. The Cubs, on the other hand, will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. Chicago was the main favorite before the playoffs started, and now it seems no one can stop them.
Is that true? Are the Cubs really set to stomp their way to their first World Series title since 1908?
The numbers suggest they will have an easy road. Chicago finished with the best record in baseball, and while all the remaining teams did a good job in the regular season, all have clear weaknesses. For example, the Dodgers have lots of question marks in their rotation, and their offense has question marks aside from Justin Turner. Corey Seager and Joc Pederson have shown power but little else. And Adrian Gonzalez hasn’t looked good so far.
Things are not different in the American League. Even though they swept the Rangers, the Blue Jays have been quite inconsistent with their bats. And the Indians have a depleted rotation, as Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar might not pitch again in 2016.
Meanwhile the Cubs look pretty solid on both sides of the ball. Their rotation has a Cy Young Candidate in Jon Lester (19-5, 2.44 ERA). They led the Majors in ERA with a 3.15 mark. Kyle Hendricks led the MLB in ERA (2.13, 0.98 WHIP). And there’s also Jake Arrieta who won the Cy Young in 2015. The bullpen suffered a meltdown against the Giants in Game 3, but they bounced back in Game 4 and have been quite dependable overall. The late-inning combo of Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman has become a nightmare for opposing hitters.
And we haven’t even mentioned the offense. The Cubs have two MVP candidates in Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. Addison Russell is one of the best up-and-coming shortstops in the game. Javier Baez has dazzled during preseason. And others like Dexter Fowler, Willson Contreras and even David Ross have produced when it matters the most.
Sure, the Cubs have weaknesses and the series against the Giants showed they can be pretty vulnerable. But if we compare them to their potential rivals, then they easily come out on top as the main favorites. Now it’s their time to prove they belong when it matters the most.