This year’s Chicago Cubs team is as bad or worse than the 2012 squad

Chicago Cubs: At the end, there’s no doubt – both teams struggled

Obviously, the season is not over yet so the numbers will change, but we will look at both teams as it stands.

Starting Pitchers:

• 2012: 4.52 ERA (8th-worst), 4.36 FIP (9th-worst), 7.07 K/9, 12.7% HR/FB (8th-worst), 6.7 fWAR 
• 2021 (so far): 4.97 ERA (7th-worst), 5.01 FIP (3rd-worst), 7.53 K/9, 17.7% HR/FB (worst in MLB), 2.7 fWAR (3rd-worst)

This year’s rotation is worse  than 2012. It was not good by any means but better than this year.

Offense: 

• 2012: .240/.302/.378, .680 OPS, 81 wRC+, 7.5% BB, 20.7% K, 11.3 fWAR – (-146 run differential)
• 2021: 229/.305/.394 .700 OPS, 89 wRC+, 8.4% BB, 26.6%K, 9.8 fWAR (-95 run differential)

The offensive numbers look kind of similar in a number of ways. Do note that strikeouts and lower batting average are the trends of today’s game across the board, but still the numbers this season look grim. This was with the majority of the year still having the core in place. Hard to win with a .700 OPS and sub-100 wRC+.

There is one more interesting thing to note. The 2012 Cubs had a 12-game losing streak in May of that year, tied for third-longest in franchise history. This year the Cubs have had MULTIPLE double-digit losing streaks, including the current 12-game skid. The 2021 Cubs also now hold the longest home-losing streak (in a single homestand) and were outscored 58-18. 2012 was terrible but this team is making all sorts of bad team history.

2012 might have been the “worse” season from beginning to end, but this year’s team has seen some of the lowest of lows. Imagine if the Cubs did not have had that surging month of May? There really is nowhere to go but up after this is all over, and I think the players feel the same way.