Quantifying Hope: Three-Team Race Atop Division for Best Postseason Odds

It’s just the second Friday of the season and we’re about to head out for another college visit, so there’s not much meat on the bone for this QH installment. The Cubs really need to give us a more consistent brand of baseball after trading wins and losses over the first six games. Hey, at least they came away from that Angels series with a win.

Entering play on Friday, the Cubs are in a three-way tie for third in the NL Central and boast a +6 run differential that’s better than all divisional opponents other than the Brewers (+28). The odds, however, have the Cubs just behind Milwaukee and a few points above Pittsburgh when it comes to their postseason odds. The latter team could get a boost when No. 1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin joins them.

Griffin has reportedly agreed to a nine-year, $140 million extension before even being added to the active roster, which could cost the Pirates draft picks via the prospect promotion incentive program. They missed out on picks because they called Paul Skenes up too late to qualify, and inking a deal with Griffin prior to his debut would mean he’s likewise ineligible. Even when the Pirates do the right thing, they manage to muck it up.

I tell you what, though, that team could be very exciting this season and beyond. In order to keep their distance, the Cubs are going to need to get the most out of their big-money roster. Their mix of veterans and youngsters should be enough to win the division, but the thing about not playing games on paper means actually playing well in real life. Wind and cold affect both teams equally, and this roster was constructed knowing full well how Wrigley Field has been playing.

Here’s to a better series than we witnessed last weekend.