Could this be the year for the Cubs? |
Since the league-record postseason droughts finally ended in 2016, Cubs fans have endured a more minimal relationship with the postseason. The Dodgers ended the dream of back-to-back titles in the NLCS and since then there have been just two series in seven years. The season has finished with the 162nd game for each of the last four years.
Winning seasons have returned to Wrigley Field but there has generally been low expectation of a run for the pennant. A lot of money has also been spent on bringing in players that will be able to compete but, somehow, the Cubs still haven’t looked like being part of the elite. At the beginning of the current season, there was not much indication on the best baseball betting websites that the Cubs were going to win the World Series. However, as we move into the second half of the regular season, the Cubs lead the NL Central and are consistently rated as one of the best teams in the numerous power rankings. Will this team be able to keep this good form going and end up winning the division, the pennant, and – ultimately – another championship? In such a long regular season, every team is going to experience a slump. The Cubs have definitely limped through June a little, allowing the Cards to win back some games in the division at the same time, but this is still a team that is exceeding expectations. Being able to keep that going is the trick and most fans are looking towards the impending trade deadline as a make-or-break moment for the ball club. It is very clear what is needed. The pitching rotation has to be addressed. Shota Imanaga has been in fine form and should be able to return to his very best once he fully heals from his injury. But it is the rest of the rotation and the absence of a good reliever that has cost the team even more wins than have been recorded. Ben Brown’s struggles have been well-documented and it looks like he could well be set for a spell in the minors. But, with one of the worst save totals in Major League Baseball, that is where the organization should be looking to bring people in. Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong look set to battle it out for the MVP award this year and the Cubs’ offense is certainly in a good place. It is what has powered the team to the summit of the division and if it can keep on going in the second half of the season, we might just have to get ready for some Fall baseball. Going into the All-Star Break, the Cubs have a lot to look forward to in the remaining months. Complacency cannot take over, however, and there will need to be some strong characters on both sides of the mound if we are not going to experience that all-familiar feeling of losing out again. Winning the NL pennant is far from guaranteed at the best of times but there are some very strong teams in the other divisions this season. The Dodgers may not have been as all-conquering as they have been in the past but they still look to have the NL West sewn up and will always have one of the strongest rosters in the game – including the obligatory superstars - to fall back on. The NL East is likely to provide the most intense challenge to any potential success, however. The Phillies are desperate to end their own championship drought and are still smarting after being humbled by the Mets in the NLDS last year. Philadelphia is a team that now expects to be going deep into postseason baseball and it will also get the services of Bryce Harper back soon . If that wasn’t enough from the East, the Mets are also looking like they are ready to shrug off their big-spending but crashing and burning tag. After being largely absent from the playoffs for the last decade – even after all that expense – they only lost out to the Dodgers last year and have improved, if anything, this season. A recent slump should not put anyone in a false sense of security, as this is another team the Cubs might have to get past. When it comes down to it, we should all really take a step back and remember where we are. It is all very well flying high at the height of summer – but it is in September when the real winners come through. The Cubs find themselves in somewhat unfamiliar territory but are playing as though they belong to be here, rather than just defying those pre-season expectations. The ball club is in an excellent position as we build up to the trade deadline at the end of July and if the right additions are made, it is getting more likely that there will be some kind of playoff baseball at Wrigley Field this year. Memories of those record-breaking droughts are never very far away for Cubs fans of a certain age but there is a definite mood-swing around the place now. This team has proved that it can compete and get better. Why shouldn’t we also believe that it can go all the way and bring a smile to the fans of Chicago sports fans?
