The 2016 Cubs: SPLOOGE SPLOOGE SPLOOGE

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

After last night's game I'm convinced that the optimal Cubs team has Baez at 3B and Bryant in LF.

[Canadouche]

After last night's game I'm convinced that the optimal Cubs team has Baez at 3B and Bryant in LF.

Why not Baez at 2B and Zobrist in left?

[WTB...A RING FFS!!]

Huge effort from Montgomery and Cahill to spare having to dig into that bullpen after last night. Cahill's looking pretty good since coming off of the DL. Is that calm and rational enough for you Bort, or do I need to provide stats to back up that opinion or I'm a meatball? Just curious.

[Saul Goodman]

Huge effort from Montgomery and Cahill to spare having to dig into that bullpen after last night. Cahill's looking pretty good since coming off of the DL. Is that calm and rational enough for you Bort, or do I need to provide stats to back up that opinion or I'm a meatball? Just curious.

B u t t h u r t . . . . . .

[Bort]

Huge effort from Montgomery and Cahill to spare having to dig into that bullpen after last night. Cahill's looking pretty good since coming off of the DL. Is that calm and rational enough for you Bort, or do I need to provide stats to back up that opinion or I'm a meatball? Just curious.

B u t t h u r t . . . . . .

Seriously. Get over it, dude. I'm not saying anything anyone else isn't.

[WTB...A RING FFS!!]

After last night's game I'm convinced that the optimal Cubs team has Baez at 3B and Bryant in LF.

You got your wish for today's lineup Cannon. As an added bonus, no Miggy or Heyward. I really hope that Heyward's just having a really shitty yr and turns it around offensively next yr, or even after these days off.

[Oleg]

After last night's game I'm convinced that the optimal Cubs team has Baez at 3B and Bryant in LF.

You got your wish for today's lineup Cannon. As an added bonus, no Miggy or Heyward. I really hope that Heyward's just having a really shitty yr and turns it around offensively next yr, or even after these days off.

Is this part of a bit that I'm missing?

[WTB...A RING FFS!!]

I will admit when it comes to baseball I'm your typical meatball in that I love watching offense and basically suffer through the defensive half of our innings. BUT, watching this version of the Cubs it's almost evened up for me. Granted none of us has ever seen as ridiculous a starting staff with this franchise, but it's fun to watch these 5 pick apart and make opposing hitters look stupid most nights.

[Yeti]

Those OBPs sitting at the top of the lineup:
Fowler: .394
Bryant: .390
Rizzo:   .399
Zobrist: .385

Russell needs to pick it up with his measly .335

[Tonker]

I will admit when it comes to baseball I'm your typical meatball in that I love watching offense and basically suffer through the defensive half of our innings. BUT, watching this version of the Cubs it's almost evened up for me. Granted none of us has ever seen as ridiculous a starting staff with this franchise, but it's fun to watch these 5 pick apart and make opposing hitters look stupid most nights.

It's also fun to watch Javy, and Tony Ballgame, and Russell, and JHey in the field.

[SKO]

Those OBPs sitting at the top of the lineup:
Fowler: .394
Bryant: .390
Rizzo:   .399
Zobrist: .385

Russell needs to pick it up with his measly .335

They have 11 guys likely to be on their postseason roster who all have an OPS+ better than league average (Rizzo/Bryant/Fowler/Zobrist/Russell/Baez/Contreras/Soler/Ross/La Stella/Szczur). The only offensive deadweights on the entire roster are Montero, who has already been benched, Coghlan, who will probably be left off the playoff roster, and Heyward, who at least offers fantastic defense and base running and would make a nice defensive replacement.

It's a damn good roster, I dare say. Easily one of the thirty best in professional baseball.

[Yeti]

Those OBPs sitting at the top of the lineup:
Fowler: .394
Bryant: .390
Rizzo:   .399
Zobrist: .385

Russell needs to pick it up with his measly .335

They have 11 guys likely to be on their postseason roster who all have an OPS+ better than league average (Rizzo/Bryant/Fowler/Zobrist/Russell/Baez/Contreras/Soler/Ross/La Stella/Szczur). The only offensive deadweights on the entire roster are Montero, who has already been benched, Coghlan, who will probably be left off the playoff roster, and Heyward, who at least offers fantastic defense and base running and would make a nice defensive replacement.

It's a damn good roster, I dare say. Easily one of the thirty best in professional baseball.

Yea, I looked at that this morning, too. I also noticed that all 5 starters have an ERA+ over 100, along with the 5 relievers listed (Rondon, Strop, Grimm, Wood, Cahill) to go with CJ and Aroldis.

[Tonker]

Those OBPs sitting at the top of the lineup:
Fowler: .394
Bryant: .390
Rizzo:   .399
Zobrist: .385

Russell needs to pick it up with his measly .335

They have 11 guys likely to be on their postseason roster who all have an OPS+ better than league average (Rizzo/Bryant/Fowler/Zobrist/Russell/Baez/Contreras/Soler/Ross/La Stella/Szczur). The only offensive deadweights on the entire roster are Montero, who has already been benched, Coghlan, who will probably be left off the playoff roster, and Heyward, who at least offers fantastic defense and base running and would make a nice defensive replacement.

It's a damn good roster, I dare say. Easily one of the thirty best in professional baseball.

Yea, I looked at that this morning, too. I also noticed that all 5 starters have an ERA+ over 100, along with the 5 relievers listed (Rondon, Strop, Grimm, Wood, Cahill) to go with CJ and Aroldis.

Also, the Cubs' bench has the highest WAR in baseball.

[Yeti]

Another fun thing:
The Cubs magic number over the Cardinals is 27. They play each other the from September 12th through the 14th in St Louis.

IF, and this is a big if, the Cubs continue their "Last 30" pace of a .733 WP%, and the Cardinals perform slightly below their season WP% of .54, then the Cubs could potentially clinch the division by the last game of that series. That also assumes the Pirates don't surge and pass the Cardinals.

[SKO]

Well there you have it. The Cubs are good.