Chicago Cubs Offense
The Chicago Cubs have a very light-hitting team. They are a scrappy bunch that keeps finding a way to win... in the second half of the season, that is.
The Cubs are slugging just .419 on the season. In comparison, the Braves are leading the league by an incredible margin. The Braves are in first-lace in slugging at .501. The next closest is the Dodgers at .459.
The Cubs only have three regulars with an OPS over .800. Meanwhile, the Braves only have two regulars with an OPS under .800. Orlando Arcia has a .771 OPS and Eddie Rosario is just below the line at .792.
The Atlanta Braves have a team OPS of .845 while the Cubs check in at .747.
This light-hitting Cubs team could be in huge trouble against the Braves pitching. Here's a look at how they stack up against the Braves' top starters (We'll leave Strider out since the Cubs only have four career PAs against him.)
Cubs vs. Max Fried: 66 PAs, 1.5 BB%, 25.8 K%, .266 BA, .453 SLG
Cubs vs. Charlie Morton: 86 PAs, 10.5 BB%, 23.3 K%, .247 BA, .342 SLG
The matchup doesn't look good for Chicago on paper. The Cubs don't have the firepower on offense or on the mound to match up with the Braves. Atlanta has no weakness right now and the Cubs have holes all over the roster. They are hot right now but don't dismiss their poor start. This would be a very favorable second-round matchup for the Atlanta Braves.
I'd prefer the Cubs over the next team we'll break down. The Philadelphia Phillies are incredibly hot right now and bring a lot more to the plate.
Go to the next page to begin the Phillies breakdown.