Latest MLB power rankings have the Cubs in a position we haven't seen in years

Just one team in Major League Baseball entered the week with more wins than the Chicago Cubs. Despite dropping two of three over the weekend in Texas, Craig Counsell's club enjoyed an off-day Monday sitting at 27-14, with a 3 1/2 game lead in the National League Central.

A pair of 10-game win streaks by early May is nothing to scoff at - especially considering the near-constant string of injuries the Cubs' pitching staff has endured (and continues to battle). With their three best starters all injured in Cade Horton, Justin Steele and Matthew Boyd, depth has prevailed, helping Chicago weather a tough stretch of schedule.

Those efforts did not go unnoticed in the latest FanSided MLB power rankings, where the Cubs checked in at #2, jumping two spots and trailing only the Braves - the team they'll square off against this week in Atlanta before returning to Chicago for a weekend series against the White Sox on the South Side.

While acknowledging the impressive start the Cubs have turned in, the FanSided MLB team pointed out the obvious flaw with this roster - one that fans are all too familiar with at this point.

What Chicago is lacking is reliable starting pitching. Sure, their depth can get them through tough times in the regular season, but the Cubs need to add another frontline starter if they hope to beat the Dodgers or Braves when it counts (and possibly both). Chicago is the class of the Central, and anyone still questioning Craig Counsell’s contract should take a serious look in the mirror.

Cubs have overcome injury after injury thanks to surprise contributions

The Cubs entered the week with the fifth-lowest team ERA in the National League, a number that's been buoyed by unexpected success stories including Shota Imanaga (2.28 ERA, 47.1 IP) and Ben Brown (1.82 ERA in 29.2 IP). Hoby Milner has been excellent out of the pen, as well, but it's clear the rotation needs another needle-mover.

Edward Cabrera has been solid but there are some concerns that his latest outing was the first appearance of an anticipated regression, while Jameson Taillon has settled into his usual reliable routine and Colin Rea rounds out the mix, filling the void left by the plethora of injuries the staff has suffered.

This week's showdown in Atlanta will give the Cubs a great test - a measuring stick, if you will, with summer right around the corner. But no matter how it goes, this is a team that should be pushing its chips in at the deadline and adding a big-name starter because betting on Steele's second-half return is a roll of the dice that's not worth taking.

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