It's a sucky feeling when you know that you'd be the top team in the NL Central, and one of the most powerful teams in the NL period...you know, if the Cardinals didn't just go and exist.
And it's getting really hairy, too. Because both the Pirates and Cubs are realizing very quickly that only one of them can go to the playoffs, as the Giants ain't happening, and the Nats-Mets race is so close that it's likely gonna be one of them taking the last spot. So now the rivalry between the Cubs and Pirates is getting ugly, because both of them want that spot badly.
The Pirates do have more of a shot, as they purposefully refined their offense, and their bullpen, for a potential playoff run. Plus, they have people like Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Pedro Alvarez all playing pretty well. But the fact that their #1 starter just went down for the count isn't helping much.
The Cubs, meanwhile, with their five-star infield and their slowly expanding pitching staff, is prime for an upset. Their main issue involves the inconsistency of their outfield- people like Chris Coghlan and Jorge Soler can't hit all the time.
For my money, the Cubs have the better team, but the Pirates have the higher ground, and are willing to fight for it. Either way, this Wild Card battle could be one for the ages.
Coming Tonight: Speaking of the NL Wild Card, one of the rookie stars of those unsinkable Mets.
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