Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros poised for a lengthy battle

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(Photo by Richard Carson/Getty Images) /

Two teams who successfully tanked. The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros have changed the game – but who has the upper hand moving forward?

Any time you’re discussing the two most recent World Series champions, it’s bound to be a hot topic. As is the case with the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs.

Going into the 2013 Draft, both the Cubs and Astros organizations had the same goal. They needed to pick a player that they could build a franchise around. Houston heldthe first overall selection, and with the Cubs second, both teams were locked in what appeared to be a lengthy rebuild.

The Astros also had the first pick in 2012 and drafted shortstop of the future, Carlos Correa. Now they wanted a pitcher. They made the mistake of drafting for their needs rather than simply taking the best player on the board, Kris Bryant.

Jeff Luhnow and Houston ended up taking the draft’s “safest player” in Mark Appel, a right-handed pitcher out of Stanford who appeared to be big-league ready. Appel never lived up to his expectations, and finds himself retired just five years after being drafted. The Astros were able to send Appel to the Phillies for their current closer Ken Giles, but nonetheless missed on the opportunity to draft an elite talent with Bryant.

Draft Successes

Besides the 2011 draft, both teams were able to build their core through the draft. In the last six years, the Cubs have compiled Javier Baez, Albert Almora, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ. Besides Happ, all players played a role in the World Series championship in 2016.

Over that same span, the Astros drafted George Springer, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and Lance Mccullers Jr. Those players, along with Jose Altuve who was signed as an amateur free agent in 2007, culminated in a World Series title last year.

Philosophical Similarities

Both the Cubs and Astros went with position players to build their teams around. They chose to fill out their pitching rotation viatrades and free agency.

The only starting pitcher for either team that came up through their respective organization was Mcullers Jr. It was only fitting that he recorded the last out in last season’s ALCS, punching Houston’s ticket to the Fall Classic.

Comparing Rotations

Last season, both teams were in the market for starting pitching. They both had talented lineups with World Series aspirations and felt like they needed one more starting pitcher to make a run.

Both teams were linked to Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Jose Quintana. The Cubs struck first by sending their top prospect Eloy Jimenez to the White Sox for Quintana. In the left-hander, the Cubs felt they had the most consistent starting pitcher of the bunch. He also had three years left of his contract.

The Astros traded for Verlander, who appeared to be on the decline. He had a 3.86 ERA for the Tigers at the time, and his velocity wasn’t what it once was. Since joining the Astros last season, Verlander has made 15 starts and has an incredible 1.05 ERA, proving any of his doubters wrong and showing that he is still one of the best pitchers in baseball.

The Astros also landed Cole in the offseason. The former Pirates ace carries a 1.75 ERA in his first seven weeks with his new team. Quintana, meanwhile, continues to be a mixed bag. He is currently 5-3 with a 4.47 ERA.

Which team is better suited

The Cubs and Astros both have strong lineups capable of doing damage top to bottom. Their respective pitching staffs also rank among the best in baseball (even through the Astros’ team ERA is well below the Cubs).

While Cole and Verlander have both been better than Quintana, I would look for Quintana to improve and expect Cole and Verlander to come back down to earth a little bit. I also think the Cubs bullpen, anchored by their new closer Brandon Morrow, is better suited for October.

Next: Cubs hoping big game from Baez gets him back on track

It’s not really possible to pick which team will enjoy more success for the future. The Astros may look unstoppable now, but the Cubs roster stacks up better than most people think.

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