Cubs and 3 biggest winners in playoff probability changes this month

1. The Cubs have increased their playoff odds by 25.90% since August 1

Nobody in the MLB has flipped their season around in August quite like the Chicago Cubs have. They’ve been able to do this in a few different ways. First of all, none of this season would be possible without the collapse and struggle of the NL Central. The division has performed way worse than expected which has caused the Cubs to find themselves in a division race that nobody expected before the year.

To go with that, namely in August, the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds have begun a bit of a free fall down the NL Central standings. The Reds are among the MLB teams that have seen their playoff odds drop the most, opening the door for Chicago to step in their place. They began the month with around a 25% chance to make the postseason, but then took 3-of-4 from the Reds and 2-of-3 from the Braves.

On the backs of a lineup that’s on fire, Chicago has found themselves in a potential playoff race. A few weeks ago, this didn’t seem possible as Chicago was actively shopping their best players, notably Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman. But less than two weeks into August, their playoff odds have shot up over 50%, according to Fangraphs.