Thursday afternoon, when Shota Imanaga and four lifts joined forces with the closure of the Cardinals of St. Louis, they spent the record of the Chicago Cubs at 48-33 at Médian MLB.
If the rhythm of the most victories of the franchise since the champions of the 2016 World Series does not shout the competitor of the legitimate title, what does?
Maybe the team’s +100 differential from the 81-game brand, better than everyone in the big leagues, except New York Yankees?
Perhaps with an average of 5.4 points per game, which ranks the second best in baseball behind the Los Angeles Dodgers? It is a remarkably balanced attack, because the Cubs ranked among the first three of the MLB in the circuits (120) and the flights (96) and the seventh in walks (282). Pete Crow-Armstrong is in pace for a 40-40 season. Kyle Tucker plans a 30-30 campaign.
When you check the advanced defensive statistics, the Cubs ranked among the six best MLB teams thanks to Crow-Armstrong, the second goal Nico Hoerner and the stop inby Swanson being the best high-level trio in the world.
Practically wherever you look at, the Cubs have proven that they have what it takes to deal with the championship.
But when you visit online sports books and check their MLB future, Cubs are generally listed with the seventh best dimensions to win everything. Betmgm says that the boys of Craig Counsell are +1400. Fanduel says +1300. Draftings check at +1600. (If you are thinking of betting on the cubs to win everything, avoid the +900 of Caesars.)
Why are Cubs treated as such relative shots? Let’s all say together: it’s stupid, stupid.
Now it was an excellent sign that Iimanaga gave only one blow and a five-round march on Thursday during his first departure since May 4 due to an injury to the hamstrings.
He gives the cubs a launcher on who can be counted to place an order two or three times when the qualifying series arrives. Matthew Boyd, the signatory of the free agent who has a record of 7-3 and 2.65 ERA in 16 departures, gives the cubs two starters worthy of the playoffs – although it is noted that the 34 -year -old left -hander is already at 91 2/3 rounds. He has not launched so much since 185 for Detroit in 2019.
Do Cubs have someone else worthy of a departure in playoffs? In a word – no.
The metrics say that the Cade Horton recruit has an ERA expected of 3.85 in his first eight departures, but he exploded on Friday evening in Houston with seven deserved points in four rounds. More relevant for this season’s prospects, however, Horton needs his workload even more closely than Boyd. He has launched 74 rounds this season after an average of 58 years in the past three years.
Jameson Taillon? It authorizes 2.1 Homers per nine sleeves. Colin Rea? Poor. Ben Brown? Incompatible. Justin Steele? Hurt. (As Dean Wormer says, poor, incoherent and injured is not a way of going through life, son.)
To resolve this gap, the Cubs GM Jed Hoyer and his cabinet must be even more daring than when they acquired Tucker during the offseason.
They maneuvered in a place where they are closer to the dodgers and the dishes that they could not have realistically. But if they want to wait to be equal before hitting, then they could also sell the team.
Dodgers, with their billions of dollars and their brilliant front office, never disappear. The portfolio of the owner of the dishes, Steve Cohen, will be widely open to each offseason and on each commercial deadline.
This now means that the time to take off a prospect or five of their thick stack of young people and to acquire two legitimate starters – guys who can pass the cubs through five rounds in October.
And don’t just focus on rentals.
Check with the Cleveland Guardians on Tanner Bibee. If the Texas Rangers go south, ask questions about Nathan Eovaldi. Leaving Pittsburgh, Mitch Keller, turned a gem on Friday evening against the dishes. Goodness knows that Miami’s marlins have projected launchers – and their favorite thing to do is to exchange them for more prospects.
Know it, Cubs: Baseball Lore is filled with teams that ruined their title chances trying to manage without enough beginners. Longtime fans still remember Boston Braves from 1948 and the “Spahn and healthy and pray for rain” sentence.
The Ricketts family should know how they will be roasted in Chicago if they try to enter the playoffs with the motto: “Imanaga and Boyd and look sadly in the void.”