New York Yankees vs. Chicago Cubs: 2017 World Series Contenders Meet At Wrigley Field

The 2017 MLB season is less than five weeks old, but the upcoming series between the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs might be the year’s biggest series thus far. The defending World Series champions will host the team that sits atop the AL East and looks to be a legitimate title contender.

Even though Chicago hasn’t gotten off to the same hot start that they did in 2016, they are still the 2017 World Series favorites with sole possession of first place in the NL Central. New York, however, has the third-best record in all of baseball, unexpectedly playing like the Yankees teams of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.

New York’s offense has been the American League’s best, ranking first in runs (148), home runs (44), on-base percentage (.355) and slugging percentage (.469). Getting contributions from the entire lineup, the Yankees are led by the current frontrunner to win the MVP award. Aaron Judge has been baseball’s top slugger, and he could have a big weekend at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field.

The 25-year-old has 13 home runs, making him the youngest player in league history to hit that many long balls in his team’s first 26 games. Judge heads to Chicago with six home runs and 12 RBI in his last six games, having reached base 19 times in 29 plate appearances.

The Cubs are still near the top of the league in batting, ranking fourth in runs scored. Reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant has picked up where he left off with five homers and a .948 OPS. First baseman Anthony Rizzo leads the team with six home runs and 17 RBI.

When looking at the pitching matchups for the three-game set, New York might be catching Chicago at just the right time. The Yankees will miss both Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta, though neither pitcher has put up numbers that are comparable to what they did a year ago.

In fact, none of the Cubs’ pitchers are throwing the ball the way they did on the way to the franchise’s first title in 108 years. Chicago had MLB’s best rotation last season, but only five rotations in baseball have a worse ERA than the Cubs do through the first month of the season.

Chicago won’t have to face the most recognizable names in New York’s rotation, though that might be to the Yankees’ benefit. C.C. Sabathia is a shell of his old self and Masahiro Tanaka has been inconsistent in 2017. It’s the team’s three youngest starters that have been their best and will toe the rubber this weekend.

Let’s take a look at the schedule and starting pitching matchups for the upcoming series between the Yankees and Cubs.

Friday, 2:20 p.m. EDT

Michael Pineda (3-1, 3.14 ERA) vs. Kyle Hendricks (2-1, 4.18 ERA)

Saturday, 7: 15 p.m. EDT

Jordan Montgomery (1-1, 4.15 ERA) vs. Brett Anderson (2-1, 6.23 ERA)

Sunday, 8:05 p.m. EDT

Luis Severino (2-2, 3.86 ERA) vs. John Lackey (1-1, 5.10 ERA)