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2016 MLB Postseason: Chicago Cubs Team Preview
Strengths
Is there anything that this 2016 Chicago Cubs team can’t do? The Cubs finished their season with a Major-League best 103 wins – the most in franchise history since 1910 – behind some very powerful bats and a shut-down starting lineup.
For starters, Chicago’s one-two punch of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo is enough to make opposing pitchers quiver. Bryant has 39 homers for the year and leads the MLB in wins above replacement (7.6), while Rizzo has the second-most RBIs in the National League with 103.
We haven’t even talked about the Cubs’ stellar starting rotation yet. Kyle Hendricks (2.13 ERA) and Jon Lester (2.44) own the two best earned-run averages in the league by starting pitchers during the regular season. And lest we forget, last year’s NL Cy Young awardee, Jake Arrieta, rounds out the terrific trio of aces that the Cubs possess. Lester and Arrieta have a total of 37 wins between them, which is the most combined wins for any two starting teammates in the NL.
Weaknesses
If we had to nitpick a particular chink in Chicago’s impervious armor, we’d probably have to doubt how well the team will hold up in clutch situations. Sure, the Cubs’ surreal plus-252 run differential for the season is very impressive and they can certainly light up the scoreboard at any given moment. But what happens if their starters struggle when it matters the most?
The Cubs’ bullpen is rather suspect right now, and we even have some reservations on hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman. Although Chapman has a dazzling 1.55 ERA and has not allowed a run since August 31, he didn’t see as many save opportunities since joining the Cubs mid-season given how the team tends to blow out the opposition. In turn, the Cuban lefty may suffer from the playoff jitters and unravel the Cubs, much like how last year’s campaign went with the entire Chicago pitching unit losing its composure in October.
2016 Key Team Stats:
| Category | Stat (MLB Rank) |
|---|---|
| Runs | 801 (#3) |
| On-Base Percentage | .343 (#2) |
| Earned Run Average | 3.15 (#1) |
| Opponent Batting Average | .212 (#1) |
| WHIP | 1.11 (#1) |
Writer’s Prediction
The Cubs make it all the way to the World Series, but fail to break the curse of the Billy Goat against the Boston Red Sox.
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