Opinion: How the Cubs Should Line Up Their Playoff Rotation
By James Neveau •
The Chicago Cubs are in the driver’s seat as they continue their playoff push, and questions are beginning to form about how the team will look should they punch a ticket into the postseason.
One of the biggest questions surrounding the Cubs at this point in the season is how they would line up their playoff rotation if they clinch a berth. Who would start Game 1? Which of the five starting pitchers would be the odd man out if Joe Maddon goes to a four-man rotation for the postseason?
Here are the key battles to watch as the Cubs head down the stretch.
Getty Images
Getty Images
Ian Happ capped off the Cubs' homecoming party on Sept. 29 as he blasted a three run home run to give the Cubs a 5-4 win over the Reds.
Getty Images
Jason Heyward and his Cubs teammates acknowledge the Wrigley Field faithful before their first home game following their Central Division clincher.
Getty Images
Kyle Schwarber and the Cubs kept their eyes on the ball Sept. 28, eliminating the Cardinals from playoff contention with an extra innings victory.
Getty Images
Pedro Strop gets doused with beer after the Cubs clinched the Central Division title on Sept. 27 in St. Louis.
Getty Images
Jon Jay and the Chicago Cubs celebrate their Central Division title after beating the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 27.
Getty Images
The Cubs and Jake Arrieta had a golden chance to wrap up the Central Division on Sept. 26, but they lost 8-7 to the St. Louis Cardinals to leave their magic number stuck at just one.
Getty Images
Ben Zobrist smacked a solo home run in the eighth inning, but the Cubs still came up just short in a comeback effort against the Cardinals on Sept. 26.
Getty Images
The Chicago Cubs eliminated the St. Louis Cardinals from the division race in style on Sept. 25, punctuated by a long home run by Javier Baez.
Getty Images
The Chicago Cubs are looking to wrap up the Central Division, and Jon Lester helped the cause with a strong performance against the Cardinals on Sept. 25.
Getty Images
Jose Quintana threw a complete game shutout for the Cubs as they knocked off the Brewers 5-0 and put themselves in prime position to clinch the division title.
Getty Images
Jon Jay scored a big insurance run in the eighth inning as the Cubs took a giant step closer to the division title with a Sept. 24 win over the Brewers.
Getty Images
The Cubs looked like they were going to notch another win on Sept. 23, but the Brewers had other ideas as Travis Shaw belted a walk-off home run to give the team the victory.
Getty Images
Kris Bryant cracked a 10th inning home run to help guide the Cubs to a critical win over the Brewers on Sept. 21. The win dropped the Cubs' magic number to 6 and extended their Central lead to four and a half games.
Getty Images
Eric Thames helped give the Brewers a late lead in their game against the Cubs Sept. 21, but it was short-lived as Chicago came back to win.
Getty Images
Jake Arrieta came back for the Cubs on Sept. 21 and was his usual dominant self, giving up one run in five innings in a winning effort.
Getty Images
The Cubs helped the Rays draw some of their biggest crowds of the season, and defending NL MVP Kris Bryant was one of the main attractions as the Cubs visited Tampa for just the second time in team history.
Getty Images
The Cubs couldn't quite figure out how to slow down the Rays in the series finale, losing a blowout game. Fortunately, the Brewers also lost on Sept. 20, dropping the Cubs' magic number to 8.
Getty Images
Kyle Schwarber's home run lifted the Cubs to a win over the Rays on Sept. 19.
Getty Images
Mike Montgomery, making a spot start, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning as the Cubs beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 on Sept. 19 and dropped their magic number to nine.
Getty Images
Anthony Rizzo scored four runs and collected three hits as the Cubs swept the Cardinals in a weekend series at Wrigley Field.
Getty Images
The Chicago Cubs dominated the St. Louis Cardinals in the teams' final series in Chicago, sweeping the three-game set and putting the Cards in a deep hole in the division race on Sept. 17.
Getty Images
Welcome back Addison! In his first game back off the disabled list, Addison Russell blasted a home run in the eighth inning of the Cubs' win over the Cardinals Sept. 16.
Getty Images
The Friendly Confines shine brightly on Sept. 12 as the Cubs battle the New York Mets.
Kris Bryant launched his 26th home run of the season and drove in four RBI in a 8-3 thrashing of the Mets at Wrigley Field on Sept. 12.
Getty Images
The Cubs hit a brick wall against the Milwaukee Brewers in mid-September, dropping all three games of a series at Wrigley Field against the second place team in the NL Central.
Lester vs. Arrieta: Who Gets the Game 1 Ball?
Jon Lester pitched the opening game of the 2015 season, but Jake Arrieta pitched the National League wild card game. Arrieta was the opening day starter in 2016, but Lester started in Game 1 against the San Francisco Giants.
This season Lester appeared to have the inside track to be the Game 1 starter, but a second half surge from Arrieta has put that in doubt. Since the All-Star Game, Arrieta has a 6-2 record with a 1.97 ERA and a .203 batting average against. He came back from injury strong in his last outing too, giving up just one earned run in five innings.
Meanwhile, Lester has a 5.11 ERA after the break in 11 starts, and he’s allowing hitters to hit at a .262 clip against him in those starts.
Our Pick: Arrieta for Game 1
Quintana vs. Lackey: Who is the Fourth Starter?
Like the rest of the pitching rotation, Lackey has flourished in the second half of the season, with a 3.88 ERA and a 6-2 record in 12 starts since the All-Star break.
The one area where Lackey has struggled, and has all season, is in the long ball department. The hurler has given up a staggering 36 home runs this season, including a pair of them to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.
That is the highest total in all of baseball, and even though Quintana has hardly been rock solid, his ability to keep the ball in the park is good considering the quality defense that the Cubs are capable of putting up behind him.
Our Pick: Jose Quintana
How Will the Four Starters Line Up?
Now that we’ve picked our four starters, how will they line up for the postseason?
A lot of that will have to do with the team the Cubs are playing, but the Washington Nationals are a relatively well-balanced team, so the Cubs likely won’t have to worry about stacking lefties or righties against them.
Those matchups will come up a lot more in the team’s bullpen, which is still definitely up in the air for October, but knowing Joe Maddon, he’ll try to keep a mix between riding the hot hand and trusting his veterans.
With that in mind, Arrieta will likely be first out of the gate, followed by Lester in Game 2. Kyle Hendricks, who has quietly had a strong second half to the season after dealing with command issues early, would be a great Game 3 starter at Wrigley Field, and Quintana could round out the rotation by pitching Game 4.
The Cubs’ rotation has been among the best in baseball during the second half, and if Maddon plays his cards right, they could be a strength in the postseason.
