Cubs, White Sox Making History With Hot Starts

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox are both off to hot starts, and if previous history is any indication, then both clubs have a real shot at a championship

Both Chicago baseball teams are off to a red-hot start this season, and historical evidence suggests that fans of both the Cubs and White Sox should be feeling very optimistic about their chances for a championship.

Although the Cubs’ game against the Milwaukee Brewers was rained out on Wednesday night, things are going incredibly well for the squad. They are off to a 15-5 start through their first 20 games of the season, which is their best start through 20 contests since they went 16-4 in the 1907 season. Cubs fans will surely recognize that year, as it marked the team’s first ever World Series championship.

As for the White Sox, things are going just as well for them. After their blowout win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, the Sox have a 15-6 record and are holding first place in the American League Central division. That mark is their best 21-game start since the 2005 season, when they started out the year 16-5 through their first 21 contests.

That season also marks the last time the White Sox won a World Series championship, the third title in team history and their first since the 1917 season.

While history seems to support the idea of a Cubs or White Sox championship, analytical data also backs it up. According to the website Five Thirty Eight, the Cubs currently have a 91 percent chance of making the postseason, with a league-leading 17 percent chance of winning a title. As for the Sox, their odds aren’t as good, with a 63 percent chance of a playoff berth and a six percent chance of winning a championship. 

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