After 162 games, the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will meet in a National League Division Series comprised of NL Central foes.
On paper, both the Cardinals and Cubs have what it takes to advance to the National League Championship Series. Over the next few slides, we’ll break down the upcoming series position by position to try to determine which team has the upper hand.
Both rosters are loaded with pitching talent. The Cardinals achieved the best record in baseball behind a starting rotation that posted the lowest ERA in MLB and a bullpen full of reliable arms. Meanwhile, Jake Arrieta dominated like we’ve never seen before in the second half to push the Cubs into the postseason.
Offensively, the Cubs have the advantage in the infield with the likes of Anthony Rizzo, Starlin Castro and Addison Russell manning their positions. In the outfield, St. Louis has multiple difference-makers in Jason Heyward, Matt Holliday, Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty.
Before Game 1 on Friday, let’s talk about the series in the comments section below. Which positions do you think your team has an advantage in? Who are the most important players in the series? What will ultimately prove to be the deciding factor?
Picking between these two teams was no easy task. Regardless of your allegiance, the following slideshow should at least give you a better idea of how each team stacks up with the other.