For almost four years now, there has been absolutely no shortage of hype.
Ever since Theo Epstein agreed to turn around the Chicago Cubs to the tune of $18.5 million for five years, the North Side faithful—and beyond—have salivated for the season when the new president of baseball operations would make good. In Epstein's fourth season running the show, the hype is now developing into substance.
Epstein, along with general manager Jed Hoyer and the Ricketts family's deep pockets, has used the draft (Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber), the domestic and international free-agent markets (Jon Lester and Jorge Soler) and shrewd trades (Anthony Rizzo and Jake Arrieta) to build the Cubs into legitimate contenders in 2015.
With a mix of young position players and some veteran pitching, the Cubs' plan has gone from living off potential to a win-now attitude. And finally, with a recent surge that has seen them win 11 times in 12 games to move into the second wild-card spot, the Cubs' play is matching the hype.
"Keep it rolling," manager Joe Maddon told reporters after Tuesday night's win, which put the Cubs 15 games over .500 for the first time since the end of 2008 and a year after finishing 16 games below .500. "The next goal is 20. I'm really proud of these guys and the way they're going about their business."
Right now is the first time in Epstein's reign that excitement on the major league field has been anywhere near this current level. The Cubs are 3.5 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants for that second wild-card berth, and it would be the franchise's first postseason appearance since 2008. If Chicago can get there and manage to win a game, it would be its first playoff victory since 2003.
Just based on where this club was at the end of last season, it would appear the Cubs are about a year ahead of a reasonable contending schedule.
Considering that on any given day, six of their regular position starters are 25 years old or younger, growing pains and inconsistency would be an understandable hurdle as they adapt to major league rigors and pitching. That is why Epstein was ecstatic with the team's midseason record.
"If somebody came up to me in spring training and said here's where you'll be at the end of the first half, I'd have taken it in a heartbeat," Epstein told the Associated Press (via the New York Times) last month when the Cubs were seven games over .500 at the All-Star break.
There have been bumps.
All-Star rookie third baseman Bryant hit .177/.302/.329 with 31 strikeouts over his previous 23 games before he went 1-for-4 with a double and five men left on base Tuesday. But there have also been clear signs of why the Cubs had the No. 1-rated farm system in baseball entering this season, according to John Manuel of Baseball America.
The team's top four prospects are all in the majors right now, and the last man to debut, catcher/left fielder Schwarber, hit .385/.484/.808 with a 1.292 OPS, two doubles and three home runs in his previous seven games going into Tuesday.
Part of the credit can go to Maddon. He is in his first year on the job with the Cubs after earning a reputation as an open-minded analytical manager with the Tampa Bay Rays. There, he worked under then-GM Andrew Friedman, who has the same kind of reputation. Friedman now runs a similar ship to Chicago's front office with the Los Angeles Dodgers (he is the president of baseball ops with a whiz-kid GM, Farhan Zaidi).
But more of the credit has to go to the fact the Cubs have as much talent as any team in the sport. And the credit for that has to go to Epstein and Hoyer, as does the construction of the veteran pitching staff, which has a 2.61 ERA in its last 12 games.
The rotation in particular is the group solidifying the Cubs' run to the postseason. The front office got the OK from ownership to pursue a difference-making starter over the winter, and Epstein's gang went hard on Lester and landed him for six years at $155 million, the largest contract in franchise history.
Days before netting Lester, the Cubs signed Jason Hammel to a free-agent deal. Those two, along with Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and recently acquired Dan Haren, give the team a balance of youth on one side and experience on the other. In that same 12-game stretch, the rotation has a sub-3.00 ERA.
There will be some correction over the team's next 51 games. The offense won't be so potent as its 116 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) in August, according to FanGraphs. And the pitching won't be so dominant through the end of the regular season. But that correction won't be so dramatic that it takes the Cubs out of contention.
This team has the right combination of youthful upside and veteran experience that makes almost every other organization envious until they are a bright shade of green.
"These last 11 games have helped us as far as our mentality and getting out of a group rut that we were in," Rizzo told reporters Tuesday after going 2-for-3 to raise his average to .419 in August. "We're all very confident here and have to keep it going. The mentality in here has been unbelievable."
Because of that, the possibility of this Cubs team breaking its 107-year World Series drought is becoming less unbelievable as the hype is becoming justified.
All quotes, unless otherwise specified, have been acquired firsthand by Anthony Witrado. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.
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