NEWSLETTER
I gotta get this out there while it’s still true, juuuuuuust in case it ceases to be true in the coming days as the Cubs face the Dodgers again.
By at least one measure, the Cubs have the best offense in the National League:
The 2023 Chicago Cubs powerhouse offense. Just like everyone predicted.
And by another measure, the Cubs’ offense (and pitching) is so good that they are arguably the best team in the National League:
Now, both of those numbers are inflated by what the Cubs just got to do in Oakland. A lot of teams are going to see their runs-per-game and run differential get a boost by playing the A’s. No argument here.
But I would point out that what the Cubs did in Oakland was not their only period of scoring a lot of runs here in the early going. Three times before that series, the Cubs scored into the double-digits. They had four blowout wins before that series. They were definitely doing some surprisingly good things at the plate even before beating up on the hapless A’s!
If you were curious, by wRC+, the Cubs’ offense is second best in the NL, just three points behind the Cardinals (115, 118). Their 22 stolen bases are most in the NL (despite playing fewer games so far than most teams). Their 21 homers are 8th in the NL (again, way fewer plate appearances so far than the seven teams ahead of them). Maybe they do have the power and the speed to be the best in the National League!
