Washington Nationals or Chicago Cubs: Which Team is Better So Far?

Although it's still early in the regular season, that doesn't mean that teams such, as the Nationals or Cubs, haven't had to deal with certain struggles to date. Just take a look at the series the Cubs played against the Marlins to open up the season and the 4-game losing streak that the Nationals are currently in the midst of.

While there is only a small sample size of data to base my thinking off of, it doesn't necessarily mean that the data is irrelevant or doesn't show which team is currently in a better position. It just means that there's not a lot of data to draw a conclusion off of, but still enough to conclude which team could have more success this season based on the early going.

With that being said, both teams have played 8 games and there are certain areas where one team has showed a strength, while the other has showed a weakness. Look no further than the bullpen for both clubs and you will see exactly what I'm referring to.

So far through 8 games, the Cubs bullpen has the best ERA of any bullpen in the league (1.02) over the span of 35.1 IP. A big reason why the Cubs bullpen has been so successful to date is because of Eddie Butler, a starting pitcher turned long-man out of the bullpen, who actually wanted to be traded this past offseason to a team that was in need of a starting, southpaw. To date, Butler has a 1.13 ERA over 8 innings of work with 7 strikeouts and a 0.63 WHIP. Again, a small sample size to make a conclusion off of, but an early sign that Butler could continue to be a force as the season wears on.

On the other hand, the bullpen hasn't been so friendly for the Washington Nationals and the results that they've seen so far this year. Right now, the Nationals bullpen ranks 28th in the league with a 6.57 ERA over the span of 24.2 IP. As many of you probably remember, the bullpen was the biggest blunder for the Nationals last year during the first half as the team struggled to find someone to lock down the back end and close out games. It appears as though it could once again prove to be an issue this year especially based on games like yesterday where the Nationals had the lead going into the 6th inning only to find themselves in a blown save situation with Brandon Kintzler on the mound.

Switching over to the lineup now, the Nationals have faired a bit better than the Cubs when it comes to runs scored here in the early going. Through 272 at bats, the Nationals have scored 40 runs compared to the Cubs 36, that they've scored over the span of 305 at bats. The Cubs have a larger sample size of at bats thanks to that marathon 17-inning game they played last Friday down at Marlins Park.

One of the biggest struggles for the Cubs from an offensive perspective so far this year has been in the leadoff position where, Ian Happ, has struggled severely. Happ has played in 7 of the 8 games that the Cubs have taken part in so far and is 5-for-28 with 1 home run, 3 RBI, 2 walks, and 17 strikeouts. Depending on how Happ fairs the rest of the way, will depend on what the Cubs need to do to address the situation. It's still early so you hope that Happ is able to find his groove, but if not, the Cubs will need to make a decision quickly.

For the Washington Nationals, the leadoff spot has not been a problem whatsoever as illustrated by their, .342 batting average over the span of 34 at bats, which currently ranks first in the majors. A lot of that was because of the early success that Adam Eaton experienced before having to miss a day due to scar tissue in his ankle that he ended up aggravating. Regardless, Eaton and Trea Turner give the Washington Nationals two legitimate leadoff hitters who can get on-base and provide speed once they do.

Finally, let's end the conversation with a focus on starting pitching and try to see which club has had more success thus far. To date, the Washington Nationals rank ahead of the Cubs with a starting rotation ERA of 3.97 over 45.1 IP, which puts them 13th in the league, while the Cubs rank 18th with a 4.43 ERA over 42.2 IP. It's fair to say that the starting pitching hasn't been the highlight for either club here in the early going and has proved to be more of an issue than a luxury.

Furthermore, the Cubs have recorded 21 strikeouts compared to the Nationals 14, while the Nationals have a .271 Batting Average Against compared to the Cubs .248 Bating Average Against. Again, it's still early so it's difficult to say exactly whose starting rotation will be more effective, but it does give us a general idea.

For now, the jury is still out about whether or not the Washington Nationals or Chicago Cubs are the better team within the National League. The Nationals have the advantage when it comes to offense especially from the leadoff spot, while the Cubs have the definite advantage when it comes to the strength and depth of the bullpen. While both teams have not faired well in the starting pitching department thus far as illustrated above. Regardless, these are two of the best teams in the National League and will continue to be forces throughout the remainder of the season.