The Cubs are on the cusp of securing a postseason berth after first guaranteeing a winning record and then tying their mark from each of the last two seasons with back-to-back wins to close their series against the Braves. They even picked up two games on the Brewers, who were swept by the Rangers and have lost six of their last 10 games. With a 3.5-game cushion over the Padres and nine over the Reds, the Cubs need only avoid an implosion over the next 16 games.
Completely falling apart isn’t impossible, it’s just incredibly unlikely. Even some weaknesses could end up becoming strengths if all goes according to plan on the injury front.