Chicago Cubs fans can be thankful after seeing Dodgers’ collapse

Chicago Cubs: Offense is the name of the game these days

It’s no secret that both organizations are built on offense. The Dodgers hit 279 home runs to lead the National League in 2019 and the Cubs hit 256 to set a new franchise record.

Schwarber and Bryant both cranked 30 or more, while Baez, Bryant, Rizzo and Contreras both added at least 20. For the Dodgers, Bellinger hit 47, while Max Muncy and Joc Pederson cranked 30-plus with Justin Turner adding another 20. The Dodgers walked 9.7 percent of the time, compared to the Cubs 9.4 percent. Chicago struck out 23.6 percent of the time and the Dodgers clocked in at 21.6 percent.

The big difference comes in contact. The Cubs hit the ball hard just 35 percent of the time, third-worst in the National League and Los Angeles led all of baseball with a hard hit rate of 42.3 percent. The Cubs hit the ball on the ground nearly 46 percent of the time, which is a top-five worst rating in baseball. The Dodgers are just over 40 percent, the third-best mark in the game.

The Cubs were tied for the worst contact rate in all of baseball at 73.8 percent. The Dodgers were top 10 in baseball at 76.9 percent. Chicago have some holes to fill offensively, while Los Angeles looks set there for awhile.

No players are due for free agency for LA, aside from David Freese and Russell Martin, but Will Smith became the starter as the year went on anyway. Austin Barnes is still a very viable backup option, plus former Dodger catcher Yasmani Grandal is a free agent this winter.

Bellinger may very well be the National League MVP and he has not even hit his age-25 season. The Dodgers are younger in age than the Cubs, as Rizzo hit 30 years old this year. The Cubs have two years to try and revamp and win another World Series. The Dodgers’ current roster will be assembled for the next 3-4 years at least, so they will get plenty of chances.