The Cubs Outfield is Their Postseason Intangible

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Peering around the league, trying to distinguish between teams bound for postseason "appearances" and those who might make true postseason "runs", Craig Counsell has his club firmly planted in the latter category. Far from being one-dimensional or dependent on a particular player, this team can do a lot of things well—including, apparently, hitting home runs at the notoriously expansive Comerica Park. Leading Major League Baeball with 5.67 runs per game, the Chicago Cubs are elite when it comes to offensive prowess. They're equally adept at keeping runs off the board, though, and that's no longer thanks solely to their stout middle infield.

Pete Crow-Armstrong is the anchor of the group—the frontman. With his 11 Outs Above Average (OAA), he patrols center field like a night shift security guard at the Field Museum. flanked by his experienced running mates Ian Happ in left field, and Kyle Tucker in right field, Crow-Armstrong possesses ever-evolving maturity and practical in-game experience to help him run down any ball, preventing it from touching anything but the stitching on the inside of his glove. He's come into his own as one of the game's premiere defenders. Getting to stand in between Happ and Tucker, who in their own right are two of the best, most fundamentally sound at their positions, has created a residual impact for the dynmaic Crow-Armstrong. Together, this trio of outfielders stands to make the Cubbies a real force to be reckoned with when October arrives. 

At times, it seems like all Cubs do is emerge triumphant in series against nearly all of their adversaries. Yes, that can be attributed to the considerably leniant stretch of games wherein the Cubbies face clubs with losing records, but it's also because in each game, the North Siders flawlessly execute a handful of plays that swings the momentum of the contest in their favor. Take for instance, the closing game of the Cubs' three-game series in Washington D.C. versus the Nationals. With the Cubs maintaining a slim 2-0 lead, the Nats speedster C.J. Abrams sliced a low-flying ball into right over the head of Michael Busch. Kyle Tucker came charging after the ball as Abrams rounded first base trying to stretch the in-between play into a double. Tucker scooped up the ball and threw an absolute rope to Nico Hoerner, waiting at second base to apply the tag to the Nationals' swift shortstop. The play not only elimnated a serious base running threat, but served as a microcasm of the types of plays this World Series contender of a club can make. It's plays like this and hopefully a whole lot more versus playof-caliber teams, that will allow the Cubs to have the type of run they're envisioning in the playoffs. If their recent series versus the Detroit Tigers were a litmus test, they failed it. There is still a long way to go but this stout outfield can help get them there. 

In the playoffs, teams get greedy. That's not a manager's foolish roll of the dice or a reckless turn toward baseball insanity, it's a survival tactic. The air changes in the playoffs; stranded runners can and will haunt a team and could very unkindly escort them directly out of postseason contention. What this means in practical terms is that with two good ball clubs squaring off, runners are going to push the limits to reach scoring position, making the defensive awareness of the outfielders all the more imperative. Happ, Tucker, and Crow-Armstrong, all lurking in the outfield, prepared to make a play on anything shot in their direction, is a weapon bespoke to Chicago's North Side club. Along with the rest of their team mates, the Cubby outfielders have thus far turned in an impressive body of work which hints at a greater passion and determination to erase the sins of the previous few seasons. This is supposed to not only be a playoff team, but a dangerous one; and these three know it. 

This season is starting to move faster than a red Ford Mustang fresh off of the assembly line in Dearbron, Michigan. With that pace comes the clarity of some previously unknown factors, such as the increasing liklihood that Pete Crow-Armstrong will be the starting centerfielder for the National League All Stars. But, what's even more clear: The Chicago Cubs are team that will not succumb to its own miscues. They plan, they adapt, and they succeed. The club possesses an uncanny aptitude to take what they do well and make it better. Three big reasons why can be found in the outfield. 

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