One big reason why Cubs aren't really World Series favorites

While these numbers may give Cubs fans something to cheer about, especially with the North Siders being on top of the National League Central with a 14-10 mark, there's also plenty of reason to pump the brakes on planning any kind of celebration along the Magnificent Mile.

First, according to Baseball Reference, "MLB playoff odds are based on 1000 simulations of the rest of the season and playoffs. The team's estimated quality is determined by their performance over their last 100 regular season games (even if it spans seasons) and includes a regression to the mean factor."

As we all know, how a team plays in April doesn't necessarily translate to how that team will perform in October (if it even gets there).

Second, the Cubs have a bullpen problem. While Chicago may have a combined 4.16 ERA on the season through the first 24 games, the relief corps has been an albatross on that number.

Chicago starters have posted a 3.46 ERA (tied for sixth-best in MLB) and 1.217 WHIP (10th-best among MLB's 30 teams). Cubs relievers, however, have logged a 5.19 ERA (fourth-worst in MLB) and 1.59 (third-worst in MLB).

Those numbers should sound alarm bells in Chicago, even though the Cubs have been able to navigate around late-inning issues enough to stay at the top of the division so far. However, it also points to an area where the Cubs must improve if they're to be truly considered a World Series contender beyond mid-April.