NL Central

The Chicago Cubs' official Twitter account doesn’t mess around.

During the team's Game 2 showdown with the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series on Sunday night, one fan took a shot in the dark and requested a Kyle Schwarber jersey:

Matt Harvey had made one start in the postseason in his short career in the majors, and that was earlier this season. Jon Lester had started 13 games and carried a 2.66 postseason ERA over his long tenure with the Red Sox, Athletics and Cubs.

Through their first five games, the Chicago Cubs made hitting in the postseason look easy. Maybe a little too easy.

As such, a reality check like the one the Cubs were dealt in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series was coming sooner or later. But given that it was the New York Mets who dealt it, the question now becomes whether the Cubs' bats will be able to recover.

The MLB Playoffs have reached the Championship Series and the matchups in the American and National Leagues have been set.

Before we delve into the top 10 players remaining, let's set the ground rules.

In a somewhat surprising move Thursday, the Chicago Cubs officially named Jon Lester their starter for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, per MLB's official Twitter account. Cy Young candidate Jake Arrieta will start Game 2.

CHICAGO — Every traditional sports rivalry has similar components—geography, divisional ties and decades of history. The Cubs-Cardinals rivalry can be similarly characterized but with one very unique attribute attached: envy. 

The Chicago Cubs notched their first playoff victory since 2003 during this year's MLB postseason but are evidently not satisfied with such modest exploits.

After losing the National League Division Series to the Chicago Cubs in four games, it'd be easy to call for sweeping change in St. Louis this winter.

But once emotions calm and sanity creeps back in, we'll remember that the Cardinals were baseball's most successful team during the regular season—and that a large part of that roster will be back in 2016.

The Chicago Cubs look to take care of business and eliminate the rival St. Louis Cardinals from the postseason behind starter Jason Hammel in front of the home crowd at Wrigley Field during Game 4 of the National League Division Series at 4:30 p.m. ET Tuesday.

Yadier Molina, who is battling a thumb injury, was not in the lineup for Game 4 of the National League Division Series as the St. Louis Cardinals saw their season end at the hands of the Chicago Cubs.