For those who haven’t been around for this column in the past, yes, I know it’s early. The purpose of Quantifying Hope is to track the season on a weekly basis to look at how the Cubs are progressing toward the postseason. As things stand heading into a six-game West Coast road trip, FanGraphs gives them a 59.8% chance of making the playoffs and a 51.7% chance to take the division. Not bad considering their schedule to this point.
The Cubs are 9-6 against a combination of the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Padres, A’s, and Rangers.