Cubs Stay Put in Latest Power Rankings

The Chicago Cubs are coming off a series win over the weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays. Unfortunately for some, that wasn't good enough to move the needle.

After the series win, the Cubs have moved to 61-64 on the season and surprisingly within reach of a wildcard spot in the National League. Heading into Monday they trail the Atlanta Braves who holds the third and final spot in the postseason by 5.5 games.

The team has a winning record since the All Star break at 14-13 and have found themselves all the way up to third in the NL Central but aren't finding traction everywhere they look.

On Monday, MLB dropped its latest power rankings and the Cubs remained at 18th on the list. They sit as the third highest in the National League Central and only one spot behind the St. Louis Cardinals. Here is what Will Leitch had to say about the Cubs.

The Cubs continue to tantalize their fans, with a hot streak coming right after most fans had made their peace with this just not being their year. As tends to be the case with disappointing teams, much of its frustration has come as a result of one-run games: They’ve played in 45 one-run games this year and only won 19 of them.

That 19-26 record in one run games certainly is a problem when trying to make a case to get into the postseason for the first time since 2020, but how they have faired against their division is also concerning. The Cubs are one of only two teams in the division with a losing record against NL Central opponents at 19-26. With only nine games remaining against division opponents (six vs. Pirates and three vs. Reds) they are in danger of remaining under .500 in that category on the season.

The plus side? The Cubs have the fourth easiest schedule based on strength of schedule (.477) for the rest of the season. The teams President Jedd Hoyer might have stated he had his eyes on 2025 but there is still a reasonable chance they can play meaningful games in September and possible October.