It’s that time of year again. Baseball Prospectus released their PECOTA, and it feels like we can start talking about baseball. PECOTA (Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm) is BP’s standard sabermetric system and is marketed as a fantasy baseball product. But often, the numbers will line up with how a player finishes, giving some credence to the system.
In the case of the Cubs, PECOTA has them winning 89 games; five wins ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Milwaukee Brewers were six games behind the Cubs, even with all that they added this offseason. Granted, this won’t account for any of the top-tier free agents left to be signed.