The Chicago Cubs Are On Fire: Can They Keep the Momentum Going?

Not enough people are talking about how hot the Chicago Cubs are right now. The Chicago Cubs are absolutely on fire right now! Over the past week, they’ve been hitting the ball like it’s nobody’s business, and it’s showing in the stats. With a team batting average of .333, they’re averaging more than 10 runs per game. That’s right—10 runs per game! The closest team in terms of runs during this stretch is the Detroit Tigers, but they’re trailing the Cubs by a whopping 29 runs. The Cubs have racked up an incredible 73 runs in just 7 games.

Illustration courtesy of ESPN.

A Rollercoaster of a Season

Let’s be honest—2024 has been a bit of a rollercoaster for the Cubs. We’ve seen flashes of brilliance, but we’ve also had our fair share of struggles. Remember that fantastic start? The Cubs kicked off the season with a solid 17-9 record, making it look like we were in for a smooth ride with new manager Craig Counsellc. But then came the middle of the season, where things got a bit rocky with a 45-56 record and we questioned managerial duties. It wasn’t easy to watch, but hey, we stuck with them!

Now, the Cubs are heating up again, and it’s like the early season magic is back. They’ve gone 6-1 in their last 7 games, pushing their overall record to 68-66. With 28 games left, they’re fighting hard for a wild card spot, and it’s exciting to see them in the hunt.

Mashing at the Plate

So, what’s driving this hot streak? Recently, the Cubs are absolutely crushing it at the plate. Over the last 7 games, they’re averaging nearly 10.5 runs per game—talk about an offensive explosion! Throughout the middle of the season, they were struggling to score, averaging below 4 runs per game. Now, they’ve flipped a switch, and no team can keep up.

Take a look at this chart showing the Cubs’ runs per game average throughout the season. You’ll see exactly how much they’ve turned things around:

Illustration courtesy of R Studio depicts the average runs scored per game throughout various stretches during the 2024 season.

Of course the runs are winning the Cubs games. However, what’s really impressive is that the Cubs aren’t just scoring runs—they’re doing everything right on offense. From hitting for power to effective base running, this team is firing on all cylinders. Over the past week, they’ve ranked first in just about every major offensive category you can think of—Runs Scored, Stolen Bases, Walk Rate, Batting Average, On-Base Percentage, Slugging Percentage, Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+), and Wins Above Replacement (WAR) among many other advanced and standard statistics. And get this—they’ve even lowered their strikeout rate by nearly 7%.

Illustration courtesy of R Studio displays the Cubs strikeout rate is down from the rest of the season by nearly 7% over the past week from the rest of the 2024 season.

As the Cubs strike out less, they’re putting the ball in play and sending it to all parts of the park, which has led to an explosion in both batting average and on-base percentage. They’re working better at-bats, drawing more walks, and as a result, both their batting average and on-base percentage have jumped by over 100 points each!

Batting Average

Illustration displays the major uptick in recent batting success.

On Base Percentage

Illustration displays the major uptick in recent success getting on base.

Once on base, the Cubs have shown no signs of slowing down. Not only are they slugging at a rate over .500, but they’re also running rampant on the bases. No team during this stretch has stolen more bases, and the Cubs are having lots of success—they’re stealing bases at a rate of over 2.5 per game.

Illustration courtesy of R Studio displays the Cubs stolen base rate is much higher now than it has been the rest of the season.

This high number of stolen bases shows the confidence the Cubs are playing with right now, and it’s exactly what they need if they want to stay in the hunt for the playoffs.

Who’s Leading the Charge

If you’re wondering who’s carrying the Cubs right now, look no further than the outfield. Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Ian Happ are all batting over .400, and they’ve combining for 6 home runs, 25 runs scored, and 22 RBIs in just 7 games! That’s the kind of production that wins games. Not to be outdone, the catchers, Miguel Amaya and Christian Bethancourt, are batting a combined average of .548 and have driven in 25 runs. These guys are all on fire!

Illustration courtesy of R Studio displays the batting averages for each Cubs batter with more than 5 at-bats over the past 7 games.

Can the Cubs Keep It Up?

So, what’s next for the Cubs? The final stretch of the season is looking pretty favorable. Of the 28 games left, only 12 are on the road. And here’s some good news—the Cubs only have 9 games left against tough opponents like the Yankees, Dodgers, and Phillies. With the 22nd easiest remaining strength of schedule, they’ve got a great shot at staying hot and making a push for the wild card. They’re 5 games behind the Atlanta Braves for the final spot, and with the way they’re playing, anything is possible.

Source

ESPN Internet Ventures. (2024, August 29). Chicago cubs 2024 2nd half MLB schedule. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/mlb/team/schedule/_/name/chc

Major League leaders. FanGraphs Baseball. (2024, August 29).

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2024&month=0&season1=2024&ind=0&team=0%2Cts&rost=&age=&filter=&players=0 MLB remaining Schedule Strength. Tankathon. (2024, August 29). https://www.tankathon.com/mlb/remaining_schedule_strength