Quantifying Hope: Cubs Head to LA with Nearly 60% Postseason Odds

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. That’s five teams in the West divisions, four of whom are expected to compete for the chance to play more than 162 games. But the rub is that the Cubs’ next 14 games come…