They’ll be a bit better than last year. I’d say about 83 wins.
That’s what I said at the beginning of the 2015 season. It’s what I expected out of the 2015 Chicago Cubs, and it was right in line with what all national experts were saying. We were all dead wrong.
They amassed 97 wins, and collected the National League Rookie of the Year Award (Kris Bryant), Manager of the Year Award (Joe Maddon), and Cy Young Award (Jake Arrieta). The last team to collect that trifecta was also in Chicago, the 1983 White Sox, who did it with Lamarr Hoyt, Tony LaRussa and Ron Kittle.
Just a few months ago, many were saying that this Cubs team was improving, but still a few years away from serious title contention. After sweeping those three awards, and knocking their arch-rival St. Louis out of the playoffs, they’ve put themselves firmly on the map for high-grade free agents.
Credit can be applied everywhere. This is the epitome of Lou Brown’s famous “It’s all starting to come together, Pepper.”
Theo Epstein did a great job acquiring all of the pieces he thought were necessary to the Chicago Cubs ’ ascension. Maddon did a great job managing the team, and the players worked rigorously to ensure that they produced on the field. Maddon benched Starlin Castro in lieu of the infielder’s long-standing struggles in August.
Castro went on to have a torrid September, hitting .381 with 5 home runs and 17 RBI in 36 games following his benching. Moves like that aren’t always going to work for teams.
It’s difficult to identify a winning formula for any particular baseball team. Chemistry plays a much bigger part than most realize. Professional athletes are voraciously competitive. Give it a few mistakes, and the guys could turn on each other in an instant. Would moves like Joe Maddon’s pajama parties and zoo animal events have worked for the 2015 Nationals, a team with shoddy management and constant chemistry issues? Nobody can say for sure.
Now that the Chicago Cubs have reached this point, now that they’re an accomplished team, the focus becomes sustaining it. With such a weak back end of the rotation, they needed Arrieta to throw a Cy Young season. It’d be unfair to expect a sub-2.00 E.R.A from him every year. The Cubs need starting pitching.
If you can’t get Price, get Jordan Zimmermann. If you can’t get Zimmermann, get Mike Leake, or reunite with Jeff Samardzija. While Price would be optimal, I think at this point, Epstein has earned the fans’ trust. He knows what he’s doing.
For now, the years of incompetence are over. The Chicago Cubs are one of the best teams in the league.