The Chicago Cubs have had one of the toughest schedules to begin the season, which includes their two games in Tokyo, Japan.
The Cubs have had to play the Los Angeles Dodgers five times, the San Diego Padres six times, the Arizona Diamondbacks seven times and the Texas Rangers three times. All of those teams are over .500 to start the season.
Their only series against a team with a losing record came against the Athletics.
It is not easy to leave that stretch of games with a winning record, but Chicago has done just that.
Because of their early season success, MLB.com has put the Cubs at No. 4 in their latest power rankings.
Their success has come mainly at the hands of the offense.
The Cubs lead the MLB in runs scored, they are sixth in batting average, second in OPS, third in stolen bases, third in home runs and first in walks drawn.
Kyle Tucker has been the best player on the team.
The MVP candidate is slashing .302/.404/.615 with six home runs, 23 RBI, 17 walks, just 14 strikeouts and 22 runs scored. He has started every game for Chicago this season, as well.
Another player making an impact is Michael Busch.
Through Sunday, Busch is slashing .316/.386/.618 with five home runs, 16 RBI and 13 runs scored. He has been a fixture in the middle of the lineup and he is proving his rookie year was not just a fluke.
With Tucker and Busch in the middle of the lineup, the Cubs are going to continue to do a lot of damage. The team will have to get on base in front of them, but Chicago is a dangerous team if those two are batting with runners in scoring position.
Pitching is where the Cubs get a little bit shaky.
They have a team ERA of 4.16, but that is because their starting pitchers have held it down. It also does not help that Justin Steele is out for the season.
The bullpen has been a major reason for multiple losses this year.
Chicago's relievers have a 5.19 ERA, which is the fourth-highest in the MLB. Along with that, the bullpen has allowed the most hits, the second-most earned runs and they have walked the sixth-most batters.
Ryan Pressly is finally coming into his own and Porter Hodge is a shutdown arm late in the game. Julian Merryweather has been great, as well. But other than them, the Cubs get a little bit inconsistent.
Even with their unsteady bullpen, the Cubs are 14-8 since domestic Opening Day. Against those teams over .500, though, the Cubs are 11-8. They are 11-10 total, including their two losses in Tokyo.
Beating teams with winning records is going to get even more important moving forward.
In the next week, the Cubs host the Dodgers for two games and the Philadelphia Phillies for three.
The team then begins May with three contests each against the Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets.
The schedule is not getting any easier anytime soon, but the Cubs are handling it well.
Given their ranking, Chicago looks to be a real contender in the National League.
