Playing like bears

If you’re not on the Chicago Cubs’ bandwagon, you should hop on now. The Cubs currently own the best record in the Majors at 27-9, and have been playing great baseball all season. This is no surprise after their terrific 2015 campaign that saw them finish third in the NL Central at 97-65. Their success has come from a mix of youthful exuberance and veteran presence. The Cubs went out to acquire four veterans this past offseason, right fielder Jason Heyward, center fielder Dexter Fowler, second baseman Ben Zobrist and right-handed starter John Lackey. These four added just what the Cubs needed -- experience. Although Heyward has struggled at the plate so far, Fowler and Zobrist have been picking up the slack. So far Fowler leads the team in average (.331), stolen bases (six), OBP (.449) and doubles (14). Zobrist has been a force at the plate as well, hitting .317 with five homers and 28 RBIs. On the mound, John Lackey is third on the team in strikeouts with 47, while pitching to an ERA of 3.54.

The youth of the Cubs continues to grow with each day. 26-year-old first baseman Anthony Rizzo is off to a hot start, currently tied for fifth in the Majors with 11 home runs, and is tied first in RBIs with 34. In his last 15 games, Rizzo is hitting .351 with three homers and 11 RBIs. 2015 NL Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant has continued hit success from last year, posting a .275 average while smacking six home runs. He has also proved versatile with the absence of Kyle Schwarber, making 23 appearances in the outfield while making another 23 at third base. Addison Russell has also made strides, currently sitting at a .265 average and is third on the team with 27 RBIs. He has also begun to show more power this season after adding a leg kick in 2015. The lineup as a whole is third in the Majors in RBIs (203), first in OBP (.365) and sixth in slugging percentage (.434). They are also averaging just under six runs a game, and have given their pitchers plenty of support.

The pitching of the Cubs has been the real key so far. The Cubs staff as a whole leads the Major Leagues with a 2.64 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP, and have only used five starters so far. Jake Arrieta has continued to dominate on the mound, currently sitting at 7-0 with a 1.29 ERA. He has not lost a game since Jul. 25 of 2015, when he fell to the no-hitter of Cole Hamels, and since 2014, Arrieta is 39-11 with a 1.98 ERA in 66 starts. Behind him, Jon Lester, Lackey, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks have all held their own. In eight starts, Lester is 4-2 with a 1.88 ERA, seventh best in the Majors. Hammel has been equally brilliant, pitching to a 5-0 record with a 1.77 ERA, which is fifth best in the Majors. Finally, Hendricks is 2-2 through six starts with a 3.03 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. If the rotation continues to be strong one through five, the Cubs can certainly continue their torrid start.

The Cubs are showing that they are World Series material, and only time will tell if they get there. The odds are in their favor, as six of the last seven teams to begin their first 30 games of the season 24-6 or better have gone on to reach the World Series, with four of them eventually winning the World Series.