2023 and 2024 have this in common: the Chicago Cubs made a serious run at the playoffs only to fall frustratingly short. Last year, the Cubs had to contend with the Reds making a lateral run in their own division, and strong stretch runs by the D-Backs and Marlins edging them out in September. With many of those elements altered, you'd think that the Cubs would find a way in this year. And yet...here they sit yet again.
At the very least, the Cubs can say they ended this season with a stronger, surer team than they ended 2023 with. Their starting lineup stayed practically the same all season, with only the addition of Isaac Paredes replacing Christopher Morel. And it was a working lineup, as Happ, Swanson, Suzuki, Hoerner and Bellinger all performed positively, and cemented their positions from the previous year. Dansby Swanson took a while to come alive, but by season's end he was at his best, coming off the field with 66 RBIs and a 3.8 WAR. Happ sprung out of nowhere to capture his second career 25-homer year, and led the team in WAR. And then new additions like Paredes, Miguel Amaya, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch filled in needed gaps. PCA is finally a really volatile MLB presence, Amaya's a solid defensive catcher, Busch was clearly a standout, and Paredes squeaked out 24 RBIs and 3 homers. There's also the prospect of Kevin Alcantara becoming a regular thing in 2025, though perhaps not right out of camp, and maybe the concept of Christian Bethancourt perhaps repeating whatever the hell he suddenly started doing in August. But if everything that came together this season recurs in terms of the hitting, the Cubs may have an advantage on a lot of their peers.
The trick for 2025 for this team is getting a rotation on the same page. Having Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks in the same rotation, in concept, is a pretty solid idea. But getting them all to not only be good at the same time but be healthy at the same time, that is gonna be the real trick. So many MLB clubs had issues this year with keeping a group of 5 starting pitchers healthy, and even with Steele and Wicks missing months and the relievers conking out this was still one of the better cases. At least Steele came back and did damage. The Reds would have 'oh he pitched 3 solid starts then was out for the season'. The Cubs thankfully avoided that, and hopefully can avoid it again next year. Steele, given a full season, could chase his 2023 numbers...or he could get hurt again. It's his choice.
Still, whatever the Cubs try in 2025, they need to figure out how to do it without completely losing momentum. Because if they hadn't completely fallen apart in May and June, they'd almost certainly be a playoff team. If Counsell can circumvent that, and lead this team back to top the Brewers, he'll atone for a disappointing ending this year. But a third year of 'juuuust missed it' is not gonna help fans like him very much.
Coming Tomorrow- Another team that came within inches for the second year in a row, and their veteran shortstop.
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