MLB predictions: 3 dark horse postseason teams in 2023

MLB predictions – Chicago Cubs make the playoffs

The Cubbies have a lot going for them this upcoming season. After letting Willson Contreras walk in free agency, they picked up Tucker Barnhart to supply more than what meets the eye. Offensively, Barnhart rotted last season in Detroit, where fly balls go to die. A change of scenery in a more friendly-hitter baller could do him justice, but his value isn’t on offense. He was brought in for his pitch-framing ability and two-time Gold Glove award-winning defense. That, however, is only where it begins.

The north siders added All-Star Dansby Swanson on a seven-year, $177 million deal. Leading the league among shortstops with 21 outs above average and 16 runs prevented, Swanson was trailed by Nico Hoerner, who was tied for 2nd with Francisco Lindor, earning 13 OOA and 10 RP in his own right. First-time All-Star Ian Happ won the Gold Glove in left field, and former MVP Cody Bellinger is set to play center field every day. The Cubs are primed to boast the best up-the-middle defense in the National League.

President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, also recently added Eric Hosmer to the mix, who was picked up for the league minimum after being designated for assignment by Boston this winter. Hoerner, Swanson, Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Bellinger, Hosmer and slugger Patrick Wisdom are excellent places to start for offensive production from a team that ranked bottom 10 in runs per game a season ago.

Furthermore, the Cubs ended the last 80 games of 2022 with a record of 39-31. That mark was primarily due to their starting pitching finishing with a 2.89 ERA, good for second-best in the NL over the entire second half of the season.

Adding in Jameson Taillon, whose archetype has been one that Cubs GM, Carter Hawkins, has had success with revamping in the past, only adds to a quietly dominant pitching staff.

For a top-heavy National League, the Cubs’ best chances of seeing October baseball will be winning the division. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds were both 100-loss teams last season and continue to project poorly moving forward.

Milwaukee has yet to make substantial increases to its roster outside of the three-way trade with Atlanta and the Oakland Athletics, which netted them William Contreras as their new backstop. If the Cubs’ pitching picks up anywhere near where it left off, the offense should be good enough to supplement their chances at an NL Central division crown in 2023.