The Chicago Cubs are headed back to the playoffs. Wednesday’s victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates (CHC 8, PIT 4) secured Chicago’s first playoff appearance since 2020, and their first in a complete 162-game season since 2018.
Skipper Craig Counsell’s squad is the third National League team to clinch a playoff berth, after the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies. The Brewers will soon secure the NL Central title and the Phillies have already clinched the NL East, and both teams have significant advantages over the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. They are strongly positioned to end up with the National League’s top two records, thereby securing Wild Card Series byes.
The Cubbies are five games ahead of the San Diego Padres for the top wild card position, so, although nothing is yet official, we have a reasonable understanding of what the NL playoff lineup will be with just over a week remaining in the regular season:
- BYE: Brewers (NL Central) and Phillies (NL East)
- WC: WC3 at Dodgers (NL West)
- WC: Padres (WC2) at Cubs (WC1)
The New York Mets currently occupy the third wild card spot with the D-backs, Giants, and Cincinnati Reds possibly causing some anxiety. That truly is the only uncertainty remaining in the NL. Can any of those teams overtake the Mets? Otherwise, we’re just discussing seeding, and the Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, and Phillies are fairly cemented in their respective places.
Outfielder Ian Happ is the lone player on Chicago’s current roster who has participated in a playoff game for the Cubs. (Second baseman Nico Hoerner was on the 2020 Wild Card Series roster but did not see any action.) The roster has undergone a significant transformation since then, as has the front office. Theo Epstein departed the Cubs in November 2020, at which point current POBO Jed Hoyer was promoted to fill his role.
Over the past few years, Hoyer has acquired first baseman Michael Busch and outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker in notable trades, and the latter two may be considered for MVP awards this year. He also signed left-handed pitchers Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga, and drafted right-handed pitcher Cade Horton. Those three could potentially be Chicago’s three starting pitchers in the Wild Card Series.
The Cubs are ranked eighth in runs scored per game and are just shy of being in the top five. They have also conceded the fifth fewest runs per game. Counsell’s team excels at both scoring runs and preventing them. Chicago’s plus-129 run differential is second best in the league, trailing only the Brewers (plus-180).
Tucker (calf) and closer Daniel Palencia (shoulder) are dealing with injuries. Once the Cubs solidify the top wild card position, thereby securing home field advantage in the Wild Card Series, they can ease up slightly, allowing key players to rest before October and evaluate others for postseason roles.
With the Cubs securing their spot, the Toronto Blue Jays are poised to be the next team to clinch a playoff berth. This is likely to occur within the next day or two.
