Chicago Cubs: Even with subpar record, Cubs still in great shape to make playoffs

The Chicago Cubs limped out the gate to star the 2017 season and have been average ever since. However, a postseason spot is still very likely.

The great thing about baseball is the season is long. Very long. It’s so long that teams can lose 20 games in a row and still make the playoffs.

While the Chicago Cubs haven’t been that bad this season, they’re still underachieving. Sitting at 38-37 late into June is something the Cubbie faithful did not expect at all. Nonetheless, it’s the reality that we all must live in.

Even so, there’s still hope. In fact, most still have the squad in a favorable position to make the playoffs. Fangraphs gives them an 81.1 percent chance to claim the NL Central, with another 3.3 percent chance to claim a Wild Card spot. In total, they have an 84.4 percent chance to make the postseason.

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Of course, these are just numbers, but they make sense. The Reds and Pirates are all but assured to sell at the trade deadline, with the Cardinals perhaps joining them if they don’t start playing well.

The only team standing in the Cubs’ way is the Brewers, who’ve shocked everyone. Their chances for a playoff berth, however, aren’t close to their Chicago rivals. Even with a 1.5 game lead in the division, they sit at a mere 5.5 percent chance to win it.

What this tells us is Fangraphs believes the Brew Crew are overachieving. USA Today had them tabbed for only 72 wins the entire season. The addition of Eric Thames and Travis Shaw have been huge, but to expect their power numbers to continue is wishful thinking. Their pitching will probably regress.

Sure they might be buyers at the deadline but would that even be a good idea? Let’s be honest, even the Brewers themselves probably didn’t think they’d be in this position. If they wanted to go all in for a playoff berth they’d most likely have to trade from the minors, where they have a nice collection of talent.

Do they trade a Josh Hader (#33) or Lewis Brinson (#13) to go and get Yu Darvish or Chris Archer? Probably not. Odds are they’ll try and get someone who won’t cost the farm to acquire if anything. After all, they can only get better from here.

They’ll most likely play things out and see where they stand come late July. If they start to falter and/or the Cubs catch fire then they can sell their overachieving players for way more. If they’re still leading the division then they might not do anything, seeing that the team’s still in rebuilding mode.

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While the Cubs could be doing way more, they’re extremely lucky that they play in a division where only themselves and the Brewers have a realistic chance to win it. The chance that someone from the Central nabs a Wild Card spot is all but gone since the NL West is suddenly the best division in baseball.

So it looks like only one team from the NL Central is headed to the postseason. Even with an underwhelming three months, that team is still probably going to be the Cubs.