The theme of today’s newsletter is the 2016 Chicago Cubs, which ranked fourth in the Best 50, and it’s my list of the greatest baseball clubs in history. Ranking from my new book The best team in baseball.
Here is a quick boilerplate note attached to each story I have in this series:
I compiled the best 50 by analyzing 2,544 major league teams from 1903 to 2024. (The historical percentile for a given club is the percentage of its other 2,543 teams.)
Please refer to my book to explain my TS calculations. The book also offers a separate breakdown of the best and worst clubs every decade, along with a comprehensive overview of the best 50 (including a position-by-position lineup and more information than you will find in this newsletter), and a similar summary of the 10 worst teams of all time.
Now enter today’s profile.
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Team: 2016 Chicago Cubs
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Team Score: 93.770
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Ranking History: 4 of 2,544
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Historical percentile: 99.88%
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Seasonal record: 103-58 (.640)
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Season position: No. 1 in the middle of the National League
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Final identity: World Champion
Theo Epstein has canceled the baseball miracle. The Red Sox general manager formed the 2004 roster, which brought Boston’s first world championship in 86 years. He reached a bigger challenge in 2011 and became president of the unfortunate Cubs, who had not won the World Series since 1908.
The story of the Chicagoans forming older relatives with Epstein, who long to see the Cubs win the championship in their lifetime. Epstein always answers: “Tell him to take vitamins because it will take a few years.”
He is right. The Cubs steadily declined as they stocked young talents. They finished their final ends in the National League Central League in 2013 and 2014. Joe Maddon Leading the team to 97 victories in 2015, this hope has made a breakthrough.
It happened in 2016. The young Cubs beat a 35-15 record 35-15 by the end of May, taking a 6.5-game division lead. By the end, they expanded their profit margin to 17.5 games.
Get a complete low in 50 greatest (and 10 weakest) clubs of all time
The Cubs crossed San Francisco in the National League Division Series, but Los Angeles briefly threatened to get out of Chicago’s championship express. The Dodgers rode a pair of blockades in the NL Championship Series, reaching a two-to-one lead. The Cubs’ sleepy hitter finally woke up and scored 23 times in the next three wins.
The World Series and the two franchises fell into a long championship drought, which was the Cubs since 1908, the Cleveland Indians since 1948 – appropriately far away. Game 7 has energized the nation, attracting the largest audience of any baseball television broadcast in 15 years.
“I’ve been sick all day,” said the second baseman Ben Zobrist. “One team will bring all the marble home, the other team will break and break.” Zobrist overcame his tension and won the 10th inning, winning the 8-7 Chicago victory.
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The bear is still very young. Five of their eight positions have not celebrated their 27th birthday. Chicago’s youth sports are reflected by third basemen Kris Bryantthe franchise’s first choice in the 2013 draft. He blossomed so quickly that he won the 24-year-old National League Most Valuable Player Award in 2016.
Bryant’s 39 home runs and 102 RBIs get supplemented by first basemen Anthony RizzoRizzo’s 32 and 109 admit that he and most of his teammates lack experience in the major leagues, but he thinks they’re compensated for in a thriving way. “I don’t care what anyone says. Pressure, we didn’t really let it affect us.” Midfielder guard Dexter Fowlera 30-year-old relative inspired the club with a benchmark rate of 0.393, ranking sixth in the NL. Joe Maddon insists that Fowler didn’t gain enough credibility for the Cubs’ success. “It never happens without Dexter,” he said.
Chicago pitchers released the lowest era (3.15) in the Grand Slam. starter Jon Lester He joined the Cubs with high expectations in 2015. “I came here to win,” he said, “and that means immediately.” He fulfilled his promise in 2016 with a 19-5 record. Leicester and staff Kyle Hendricks Second and third place respectively in the Cy Young Award Race. Hendricks shocked everyone by shaping the average run won by 2.13 without overtaking the fast ball. “Leading the league in the times, I think we’d lie if we say that’s what we expect,” General Manager Jed Hoyer said.
