Chicago Cubs have transformed into second-half heroes with Joe Maddon

Ever since he took the reigns as the Chicago Cubs skipper, Joe Maddon has guided the team to second-half surges, making up for any slow starts.

The Chicago Cubs have enjoyed an incredibly successful run under the leadership of Joe Maddon, including the long-awaited World Series title, several deep postseason runs and a Wild Card appearance. The curious thing about each of these seasons, however, is how much better the Cubs have been as a second-half team.

Not counting the current ongoing season, the Cubs are 198-158 in the first half: an overall respectable record, but nothing compared to their 189-103 record in the second half. What exactly causes Maddon’s teams (save for the 2018 club) to…