NL Central standings ordered by run differential: Maybe the Cubs aren't as bad as we feared

The Cubs are sneaking back into the postseason picture and this metric suggests there might be cause for hope as the first half winds down.

Miami Marlins v Chicago Cubs
Miami Marlins v Chicago Cubs | Matt Dirksen/GettyImages
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NL Central standings ordered by run differential: #2 - St. Louis Cardinals

The apocalypse has come to St. Louis, with the so-called 'best fans in baseball' losing their minds over their beloved team's woeful start to the 2023 season. The Cardinals are just 30-43, eight games out of first and in last place in the NL Central. But maybe - just maybe - there's reason to think they can turn it around. After all, they've got the second-best run differential in the division at -13.

St. Louis pitching ranks tenth in the league in ERA and Cardinals starters rank 12th in that metric. Much has been made of the departure of Yadier Molina and the shortcomings of Willson Contreras in his first year with the team - and it's clear there's been at least some impact made by the changing of the guard.

Offensively speaking, St. Louis has the fifth-highest team OPS in the league and rank sixth in runs. Figuring out the pitching staff is the make-or-break for Oli Marmol's ballclub but right now, even seeing the run differential probably won't make Cardinals fans feel better.

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