MLB Standings 2021: Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians Are Playoff Longshots Halfway Through Season

A pair of MLB teams that had been overachieving have come crashing back down to earth. The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians are playing worse than anyone in baseball in the final week before the All-Star break, potentially killing their playoff chances.

Both the Cubs and Indians have lost nine of their last 10 games. Chicago is in third place in the NL Central, trailing the first-place Milwaukee Brewers by 8.5 games. Cleveland is eight games behind the Chicago White Sox, who are running away with the AL Central.

Through the first two months of the season, the Cubs exceeded expectations, quieting rumors that the organization might be major sellers at the trade deadline. Chicago peaked on June 13 when they completed a three-game sweep of rival St. Louis Cardinals and tied Milwaukee atop the division.

It’s all been downhill since that moment for Chicago. The Cubs have a 5-17 record in their last 22 games. A win against the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday snapped Chicago’s 11-game losing streak.

The Cubs can’t seem to do anything right. Only three teams in all of MLB have scored fewer runs or posted a worse ERA than Chicago in the last 15 days. With the top three teams in the NL West all playing like World Series contenders, the Cubs are seven games behind the San Diego Padres for the NL’s second wild-card berth.

Chicago has a 6.5% chance to make the playoffs, according to Fangrahs.

The outlook is even more bleak for the Indians, even though they are in second place with a better record than the Cubs. Fangraphs gives Cleveland just a 5.5% chance to reach the postseason. The Indians are five games out of the AL wild-card race with five teams ahead of them in the standings for the final playoff berth.

Cleveland is on a nine-game losing streak and has just one victory since June 25. The Indians’ win over the Seattle Mariners on June 12 marks the last time they defeated a team that has a winning record. The Indians have a 5.38 ERA over the last month and a 6.43 ERA in the last 15 days.

Injuries have played a significant role in Cleveland’s lack of competitiveness. Reigning AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber has missed a month with a shoulder injury. Aaron Civale leads the team in WAR and inning pitched, but he’s out with a sprained middle finger.

There’s no timetable for either pitcher to return.

Even after the Indians traded star shortstop Francisco Lindor and starter Carlos Carrasco in the offseason, the team got off to a strong start. On June 17, Cleveland was 38-28, putting the Indians just one game out of both the divisional and wild-card race.

The Indians have made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons.