Defense matters. Especially when your offense is working its way through a second-half slump and injuries have taken a toll on your lineup. While the starting pitching - and a group of bullpen standouts - have garnered much of the praise this year, the Chicago Cubs' defense has been a driving force behind the team's push to October.
FanGraphs has the Cubs as the second-best defensive team in all of Major League Baseball - and ranks them #1 in the National League. A big reason why? The efforts of All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and stalwart second baseman Nico Hoerner.