After five straight losing seasons -- with the last two in last place -- the Chicago Cubs are surging toward the 2015 postseason. The moves that the Cubs' management made throughout the last few years are paying off well ahead of all expert predictions.

As play begins on September 7, the Cubs have a record of 78-57, which is the fourth-best record in the Major Leagues and would lead four of the six divisions. The only problem is that they are in third place behind the St. Louis Cardinals (87-49) and Pittsburgh Pirates (81-54). Still, the Cubs are in prime position to win a National League Wild Card berth.

The Cubs are winning -- and winning big -- in large part to four members who all have legitimate chances of bringing home the top awards in the National League at season's end. It is rare that a single team would have strong candidates for all four awards, but this year's Cubs do. Without these members' performances, the Cubs might have a winning season, but they would most likely not have postseason ambitions.

Most Valuable Player -- Anthony Rizzo

The Cubs' first baseman is the veteran leader among position players. The Cubs have some more-experienced MLB players, but Rizzo is the second-longest-tenured Cub in only his fourth season with the team. With Bryce Harper garnering the headlines and Giancarlo Stanton out injured for much of the second half, Rizzo has surged into MVP contention by leading his team to a terrific record. 

The Most Valuable Player does not -- and should not -- necessarily equate with the Player of the Year. Other candidates have better numbers in individual categories, but Rizzo's overall importance to his team earns him very serious consideration. 

As of September 7, Rizzo's line reads .283/.390/.529/.919, 28 HR, 83 RBI, 65 BB, 15 SB, 78 R, and 5.7 WAR* in 134 games. His numbers are better on the road than at home, but the two sets are close. Clearly, Rizzo's performance and consistency make a strong case for MVP votes.
 

Cy Young -- Jake Arrieta

We hear the names Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Madison Bumgarner, and Max Scherzer as the best pitchers in the league every year and as perennial Cy Young candidates -- and rightfully so. Kershaw has won three awards, and Grienke and Scherzer have each won one. Bumgarner is always among the top tier.

This year, though, Arrieta has forced his way into the mix with his record of 18-6, 2.03 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 6.8 WAR*. A description of Arrieta's partial numbers following his scoreless outing on September 5 says a lot: "Saturday's quality start was the 15th straight for Arrieta, who has a record of 12-1 and an ERA of 0.98 in that span, which began on June 21."

Although Arrieta trails Greinke in ERA (Greinke: 1.59), he is second in the Majors. He also leads the Major Leagues in wins and ranks fourth in the National League in strikeouts with 197 while walking only 44 batters in 28 starts.

That span from June 21 on includes Arrieta's no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 30. 

Rookie of the Year -- Kris Bryant

In the season's first half, Dodgers rookie center fielder Joc Pederson deservedly stole all the headlines on the field. Bryant's headline to start the season included arguments that the Cubs should have had him at third base immediately rather than waiting 12 days to call him up. Now, that claim seems like a distant memory as Bryant has rebounded well from a month-long slump in July while Pederson has struggled in the second half. 

As of September 7, Bryant has played in 126 games. He trails Pederson by one home run (24-23), and he leads all National League rookies with 86 RBI -- 21 more than second-place Matt Duffy of the San Francisco Giants in almost the same number of games.

Bryant's slash line reads .267/.368/.487 with an OPS of .855 and 4.3 WAR*. A number of rookies have higher averages, but Bryant has been key to the Cubs' success this season, especially at Wrigley Field, where he has a line of .299/.404/.628 with 19 HR, and 53 RBI. 

Bryant's downfalls may be his high strikeout total of 164 and road averages of .236/.331/.345 with only 4 HR and 33 RBI. The Cubs will need much better road production from Bryant in the postseason.


 

Manager of the Year -- Joe Maddon

The 2008 and 2011 American League Manager of the Year for the Tampa Bay Rays joined the Cubs this past offseason, taking over a young but promising team just as he did when he joined the Rays in 2006. This time, though, Maddon has his new team in serious contention in his first season, and Cub fans could not welcome him more. 

Maddon's light-hearted approach makes it easy for the players to concentrate on winning. Still, though, he is all business on the field, putting his team first. That seriousness became even more evident when Maddon benched Starlin Castro and then switched Castro's and Addison Russell's positions in order to "win today" every day.

Maddon puts his young players in situations in which they can succeed, and they have. The players love and respect their manager, and they play as much for him as they do for their fans and themselves. Every Cub has exhibited that "team first" attitude every day.

Even in defeat, Maddon normally finds something positive as he prepares for tomorrow, the mark of a true leader.

Maddon has taken a team full of talented and powerful rookies and mixed in veterans who have played in the postseason before to make this Cubs team one to watch for years to come.

Four possibilities

There is stiff competition for all four awards, but Bryant may have the edge in winning the National League Rookie of the Year, especially if he continues to hit and drive in runs throughout September.

Rizzo could lose the MVP to someone with better numbers, but regarding his worth to his team, he is right at the top.

Arrieta could and should win the Cy Young award unless name recognition knocks him out.

Maddon has deserving competition with the Cardinals' Mike Matheny, Pittsburgh's Clint Hurdle, and the New York Mets' Terry Collins for Manager of the Year.

The Cubs, though, have a chance at bringing home four individual trophies in 2015. It is highly unlikely that all four will win, but someone will, and this possibility is a great sign of things to come.

*WAR stats are taken from Baseball Reference Player Pages