Dodgers vs Cubs: A Preview of Baseball’s Newest Rivalry

The Cubs delivered a crushing blow to the Dodgers’ World Series hopes in 2016. Los Angeles is eager to show their young core of players is ready to return the favor in 2017. Has this become the best rivalry in the MLB?

Sports rivalries are some of the most exciting forms of entertainment. There are historical rivalries that have emerged over decades of head-to-head glory and heartbreak. History helps forge a rivalry, but all rivalries must start somewhere. The Dodgers and Giants rivalry dates back to when both teams were playing in New York. The competitive bond between these teams is strong, and when they moved to California in the 50’s, the rivalry continued.

That same rivalry exists today. When the lights go on and it’s SF vs. LA, there are few other match-ups that generate as much buzz and excitement. Both teams project to be in the hunt for the NL West and a post-season birth. But this year, there is a different team that Los Angeles will lock horns with as a new rivalry develops. The defending World Champions Chicago Cubs.

While the Giants project as a good team on paper, it is the Cubs and the Dodgers who Fangraphs project to share the most wins in 2017. Both teams figure to land a whopping 94 wins. Last year, both teams matched up for a heated NLCS, where the Cubs were able to not only come out on top but also capture their first World Series in over 100 years. Looking forward, the Cubs and Dodgers figure to be entrenched in conflict for years to come. Should that come to fruition, look for the Cubs and Dodgers to emerge as a new cross-divisional rivalry that the entire MLB will be looking forward to watching.

Farm System Depth

Both Los Angeles and Chicago have been the beneficiaries of deep farm system rankings. Both teams have also graduated many of these young players to their current rosters as well. Looking at 2017, both teams still fair well in recent rankings. Bleacher report has the Dodgers and Cubs ranked 5th and 14th, respectively. Keep in mind, this is after players such as Julio Urias, Albert Almora, Corey Seager, Wilson Contreras, and Carl Edwards Jr. all have graduated from prospect tier within the last year, yet their teams are still well-regarded in the minors. We could be blessed to see future matchups between Dodgers’ Walker Buehler, Yadier Alvarez, Cody Bellinger, and Alex Verdugo go up against the Cubs’ Mark Zagunis, Ian Happ, and Dylan Cease.

Current Rosters

Both teams can boast the success of young players on their roster. While having older players on the 25-man roster isn’t a negative by itself, having a plethora of skilled, young talent that projects well for the future. Both teams can lay claim to having an MVP on their team, with Kris Bryant winning in 2016 and Clayton Kershaw winning it in 2014.

The talent doesn’t stop there. The Dodgers have Julio Urias (20), Corey Seager (22), Joc Pederson (24), Andrew Toles (24), Brock Stewart (25), Yasiel Puig (26), Trayce Thompson (26), Alex Wood (26), Austin Barnes (27), Yasmani Grandal (28), Kenta Maeda (28), Grant Dayton (29), and Kenley Jansen (29) as under 30 talents.

For the Cubs, they have Albert Almora Jr. (22), Addison Russell (23), Javier Baez (24), Wilson Contreras (24), Kyle Schwarber (24), Kris Bryant (25), Kyle Hendricks (27), Jason Heyward (27), Mike Montgomery (27), and  Anthony Rizzo (27) for their under 30 talents.

By the looks of things, we may be watching the tale of two giants for the next 5-10 seasons.

Future Payroll Obligations

Both teams are stacked because of young talent. Moving forward, both teams are in excellent position in terms of payroll spending. From 2017 to 2019, the Dodgers shed 130 million dollars per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. For reference, 130 million dollars is the league average for payroll according to Sportrac. That’s right, the Dodgers are shedding a team’s worth of payroll over two years. In 2019, the Cubs are projected to have a payroll of 71 million. They are both in prime position to utilize their young talent and splurge on prime free agents come the 2019 offseason.

Judging by both team’s current success rate and future financial flexibility. Both teams will have the ability to lock up their homegrown young stars or lure in any of the top-tier free agents.

Top tier free agents expected to become available during the 2018-2019 offseason includes: Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Brian Dozier, Daniel Murphy, and Adam Jones. While this list is a mere projection of possible free agents. It just goes to show the talent available for these two teams with ample amount of financial flexibility in the coming years.

Next: Do the Dodgers Have the Best Rotation in the MLB?

The bottom line with these teams is – they better get used to seeing each other in the playoffs. They are good at now because of years of developing excellent farm systems. Young players like Kris Bryant and Corey Seager are making their mark on their respective teams and the league.

Both teams have enough depth to withstand injuries during the regular season. And in future years, they will easily be able to spend on meaningful free agents without ruining their budget. The Cubs are one up on the Dodgers after last year – 2017 is the year the Dodgers try to even the score and I think they will, setting up for one of baseball’s best rivalries.