Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers poised for years of showdowns

Chicago Cubs have more questions than answers in rotation

Let’s just call it like it is: the Cubs don’t have someone to go toe-to-toe with Clayton Kershaw.

Sure, in a head-to-head, Chicago went to Kyle Hendricks in the past and came out on top. But Kershaw is in a league of his own when it comes to the big picture. The guy led the league in wins and earned run average again in 2017 and may win his fourth NL Cy Young Award.

Behind him, Los Angeles brings back everyone outside of Yu Darvish for a shot at a second-straight pennant. That gives Dave Roberts the likes of Rich Hill, Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda, Alex Wood and Brandon McCarthy to round out the rotation.

Hill and Wood are clearly the best of the group, sliding in behind Kershaw. Any time you have three quality left-handers in your rotation, it’s an enviable position to be in. Wood pitched to a 2.72 ERA this year and Hill came in in the low-3.00 range.

Hendricks then who?

For Chicago, Hendricks is the ace heading into 2018. He came back from injury and settled in nicely down the stretch for Maddon. His first start next year will be the 100th of his career – and he’ll carry a 2.94 ERA into that contest. Hendricks is easily one of the most underrated starters in baseball today.

After that, the waters grow a bit murkier. Jon Lester will be the team’s number two and Jose Quintana slots into the three-spot. From there, it’s anybody’s guess. Jake Arrieta and John Lackey are both free agents. Any impact pitching prospects in the system are at least three years from being big-league ready.

This comparison isn’t even close. The Dodgers are leaps and bounds ahead of the Cubs when it comes to the starting rotation. Theo Epstein has his hands full this winter – but if there’s anyone to get the job done, it’s him.

Advantage: Los Angeles