(670 The Score) One of the more charming aspects of Chicago baseball fandom is the constant battle to decide who has it worse. Comparison may be the thief of joy, but to be honest, what's really the point of joy when you can compare yourself to something instead? It's an easy decision, and one that I appreciate Chicago consistently making, year after year. The rivalry, more so than either individual team, is what makes the city such a great place to follow baseball. Two baseball teams in one city means double the amount of one of life's most rewarding indulgences: self-pity. So right now, a little more than a month into the 2021 season, let's indulge some self-pity in a game I'm trying to get my editor to call "Who Has It Worse? A Monthly Investigation."
We'll start with the Cubs, because on paper they do, objectively, have it worse. Entering play Tuesday, they were four games under .500 and in last place in the NL Central, a team exactly one-tenth better than what's considered replacement-level. (You call it arbitrary, I call it abysmal ... and arbitrary.) Only three teams have a worse ERA than the Cubs, who have a 5.01 mark. I'm not going to get into xFIP or ERA- here, but you know. The Cubs have been just OK at striking guys out (16th in K%), choosing to instead walk them (tied for first in BB%). One silver lining is that when it comes to giving up dingers, they're not a bottom-five group. Their HR/9 (1.46) is actually only sixth-worst. They just put right-hander Jake Arrieta – who leads the team in innings pitched – on the 10-day injured list, and right-hander Kyle Hendricks' ERA is quickly approaching The Sympathy Zone, if we're not there already.
On offense, their best hitter is a homegrown star whose long-term future with the Cubs somehow feels less likely than one with the White Sox? Their second-best hitter is still striking out 40% of the time, and speaking of the 10-day IL, that's where infielder Nico Hoerner, their fourth-best hitter – who started the season in Triple-A after slashing .364/.396/.659 this spring – is also headed. The Cubs' next 36 hours include three games against the Dodgers, all in unseasonably cold Chicago spring weather. The whole picture does, admittedly, make a compelling argument – especially the weather part.
The White Sox, on the other hand, pass the FanGraphs test. They're first in offensive WAR (6.1), seventh in pitching WAR (3.8) and somehow *second* in defensive WAR? I don't get it either. The first month of Yermin Mercedes' first-ballot career went as planned, they got a Jason Benetti-called no-hitter from a guy they literally cut last year, and are one game out of first place in the AL Central. Basically imagine the Cubs, but way better across the board in almost every aspect.
But that's the thing about the White Sox – everything has gone to plan this first month, per se. It's hard to really fuss about a month of .556 baseball. And yet, they still sorta feel doomed? Maybe it's the distinct absence of two of their best four hitters for the next 12 weeks or surfaced rumors that manager Tony La Russa may be losing the locker room exactly (checks notes) 27 games into his first year back, but something just doesn't feel right. It should also be noted that a summer without Eloy Jiménez memes legitimately sucks. I mean that in total sincerity – I'm convinced that the Eloy Jiménez Internet Experience makes White Sox games between 5-8 percent better on any given night.
The Verdict: Cubs fans, for now. The Cubs are a bad baseball team (see: paragraph 2 and paragraph 3, also paragraph 4) and for that reason, their fans have it worse for now. They didn't get a no-hitter or Yermin or the theatrical dedication of an entire season to their very-alive left fielder with a torn pectoral. Sorry, White Sox fans. If it's any consolation, it does feel like your time is coming.
Cam Ellis is a writer for 670 The Score and Audacy Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KingsleyEllis.
