NL Central Standings: Chicago Cubs record not telling the whole story

At the time of writing, the Chicago Cubs sit at a respectful 13-9 on the season through 22 contests. The Cubs are four games over .500. However, their record does not indicate how fantastic they have played as a team in several key categories. Given that we've seen two losses attributed to blown save or hold opportunities in the 9th, the Cubs could just as easily be a much more impressive 15-7. Look at these National League ranks for the Cubs as we look for the calendar to begin to close in April:

• Team batting average: .278/.351/.446, 1st in NL
• Team ERA: 3.51, 2nd in NL
• Starting Pitching ERA: 3.09, 2nd in NL
• Pitcher Strikeouts: 216, 4th in NL
• Home Runs: 29, 5th in NL

The Cubs pitching and hitting through this point of the season have been vastly underrated and have yet to be given the recognition it deserves. With a team stacked at the top consisting of Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki, it's hard to believe this team is a fluke. Cody Bellinger looks to be in the midst of a comeback season, while the rest of the lineup is full of veterans that are no strangers to success at the highest level.

After playing seven games with the Dodgers in which they lost the season series 4-3, the Cubs have taken game one in a best of three with another National League powerhouse in the San Diego Padres, who also now boast Fernando Tatis Jr. back in their lineup as well. After that, It's on to face the Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, and Marlins again in what begins to become a lighter stretch of the schedule.

As the team begins to give off 2015 vibes before their long-competitive stretch of baseball first began, the excitement is higher for baseball on the north side of Chicago than it has been since before the pandemic. The Cubs front office has done an honorable job loading up the farm system to have prospects continue to churn out year after year. The funds are there for off-season spending, and this 2023 team is already showing what it can do against the best teams in baseball.

With all the depth at their disposal, there's no reason to think this Cubs team will slow down anytime soon. 2023 is only the tip of the iceberg, and the numbers this season are already an indicator of how good this franchise is about to become with the proper reinforcements in place.

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