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I’m a White Sox fan, but I live on the North Side among the Cub world and I can't help asking, why do the Cubs fall apart every July? Do their hitters not adjust when opponents find their weaknesses? Are they overrated to begin with? Is the organization's infrastructure deeply flawed?
-- Paul W.
I reject the premise. The Cubs are 21-19 since July 1, fourth-best record in the NL in that time. They have not collapsed; a 91-win team (my projection for them) playing at an 84-win pace for six weeks isn’t notable at all. The Cubs simply happen to be competing against a team that’s 32-8 in that same timeframe. The wild success of the Brewers is creating the illusion of a Cubs collapse.
Last year, the Cubs were 39-46 through June 30, 44-33 after. They went 12-11 in July, much better than they played in May and June. In 2023, the Cubs went 38-42 through June 30, 45-37 after, 15-11 in July.
The Cubs don’t fall apart every July.
--J.
-- Paul W.
I reject the premise. The Cubs are 21-19 since July 1, fourth-best record in the NL in that time. They have not collapsed; a 91-win team (my projection for them) playing at an 84-win pace for six weeks isn’t notable at all. The Cubs simply happen to be competing against a team that’s 32-8 in that same timeframe. The wild success of the Brewers is creating the illusion of a Cubs collapse.
Last year, the Cubs were 39-46 through June 30, 44-33 after. They went 12-11 in July, much better than they played in May and June. In 2023, the Cubs went 38-42 through June 30, 45-37 after, 15-11 in July.
The Cubs don’t fall apart every July.
--J.
