Hallelujah!
The NBA has managed to complete its thunderous (get it?) eight-month season before July, and we move rapidly into Midwest Illinois’ most rousing and long-awaited summer rivalry: Cubs vs. Cardinals, seven games in 14 days.
What took so long? And if so-so pitching is worrisome for the Chicagoans, can they continue to produce enough offensive punch to offset that?
Maybe there’s no Sammy Sosa or Billy Williams brushing against the Wrigley Field ivy, but four current outfielders test memories to recall any Chicago foursome with more talent.
There’s a reason why whip-smart manager Craig Counsell uses the DH slot to place Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong at the top of the batting order.
This is a sharp contrast with the archrival Cardinals’ outfield play, and it helps explain why the North Siders are leading the Central Division.
Hitting their stride
Even as versatile Alec Burleson breaks out as a plus-.300 hitter, the Cardinals’ alternating outfield foursome is surely the weakest in modern times. Manager Oliver Marmol can’t find lineup positions low enough for Jordan Walker (three home runs, 23 RBI), Victor Scott (three HRs, 23 RBI) and Lars Nootbaar (nine HRs, 31 RBI).
Admittedly, the Cub quartet has 243 more at-bats than their St. Louis counterparts, but that doesn’t diminish the incredible difference in statistics through Sunday. The four Cubs lead in home runs 67-23, RBI 209-108 and slugging percentage by a huge margin. Crow-Armstrong, a stunning all-around performer, and Suzuki are already over 60 RBI, and all but Happ are well over .500 in slugging percentage while the Cardinals have no one at that number.
Nootbar is fighting back from an 0-for-27 slump and Walker struggles to keep his average over .200. What does it say when Scott twice attempts to bunt with two strikes?
It is the misfortune of the Cardinal system that, in recent years, it allowed more productive players to slip away while counting so heavily on Walker and infielder Nolan Gorman, only to see them fail miserably.
Head-to-head breakdown
Looking elsewhere on the field, the Cub edge is slight.
They miss injured starter Justin Steele and are just getting Shota Imanaga back for Wednesday’s game. They have a slight ERA edge (3.83 to 3.93) on Redbird pitchers, and still have concerns about a bullpen that knocked them out of the playoffs last year.
Catching is average on both sides, and the rival infields are comparable with both excellent at shortstop-second.
The Cardinals, suffering major losses in attendance after announcing a “reset” or a “rebuild” or whatever you want to call a make-over, allowed first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to revive his career with the Yankees and tried to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado to Houston, but he declined ... and is having a barely acceptable season for an aging Hall of Famer earning $32 million.
Differing approaches
The real difference between these clubs in 2025 is that one team had its eye on the playoffs from the beginning, and has the money to acquire a key addition in the stretch ... and will do everything possible to meet the salary demands of free agent Tucker.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals aren’t likely to spend what is necessary to retain closer Ryan Helsley and will probably be stagnant in August, hoping for a miracle down the stretch while the Cubs do everything possible to keep Wrigley’s Win Flag flying.
For now, they’re playing four games in St. Louis and returning to Chicago on the 4th of July for three more. Stop concerning yourself about Balkan visas and 2026 football recruits, and enjoy the most anything-can-happen excitement you’ve had all summer.
And if you’re a Cardinal fan, be heartened with the knowledge that you don’t have to be the best team to win a baseball game.