Chicago Cubs’ March Madness Bracket- Sweet Sixteen

Chicago Cubs: Catalina Region Sweet 16

• 1 seed Ernie Banks defeats 8 seed Claude Passeau
• 5 seed Johnny Evers defeats 4 seed Bill Hutchison
• 3 seed Mordecai Brown defeats 6 seed John Clarkson
• 15 seed Jake Arrieta defeats 10 seed Bill Hands

Banks continues his dominant run through a bracket that is all his. Arrieta also continues his run, but from the opposite side of things, as a 15 seed underdog. This round, he takes out the 10 seed in Hands, who won 92 games in seven seasons with the Cubs. Arrieta only won 68 with the Cubs but did so in five years.

His two year run in 2015 and 2016 might be the best in Cubs history, although Fergie Jenkins had a six-year string of 20 win seasons from 1967-1972. Jenkins also bested Arrieta’s 40 wins in consecutive seasons with 46 in 1970 and 1971, although Jake’s ERA was a mere 2.39 over two campaigns, compared to 3.08 for Jenkins.

Brown made quick work of Clarkson in a 3-6 matchup, and Evers (1/3 of the famous Tinker-Evers-Chance combination) made it through in this bracket, joining Chance, who also made it to the Sweet 16. Here’s how the last bracket looks in the Sweet 16:

• 1 seed Ernie Banks vs. 5 seed Johnny Evers
• 3 seed Mordecai Brown vs. 15 seed Jake Arrieta

Now that we’re in the Sweet 16, the names and faces should be very familiar. Keep reading, commenting on your favorites, and come back to find out how the rest of the Cubs March Madness finishes.