Chicago Cubs: Just how good was that 2003 Cubs team?

Chicago Cubs: Wrapping it all up

The 2003 Cubs were a team that definitely had plenty of talent but it was nowhere near the likes of the 2008, 2015 or 2016 squads. They spent a good two-thirds of the season hovering around .500 and had everything come together in September. The NL Central was not good at all and the Cubs won some crucial games in the last week as other teams lost critical contests.

Still, you can’t take away what this team accomplished. They came up with big pitching performances and clutch hits en route to an 88-win regular season and deep postseason run. But when it was all said and done, that late-season hot stretch simply came up short in an infamous October collapse.

One important note – even if it matters very little at this point. Six of the top seven bWAR players were pitchers. Arms really did a lot of winning for this team – and without those young studs, the Cubs would’ve never even sniffed October, let alone come within one win of the World Series.

Despite the negatives, the 2003 squad was no doubt entertaining. So much of it thanks to that starting pitching staff. What could have been if they made it to the World Series…we will never know.