As a Chicago Cubs fan, I should probably be nervous after watching the White Sox beat up on the Cubs for the first two games of the crosstown series this past weekend. But I am somewhat surprised to find that I am not nervous at all. I’m actually pretty excited.

It is about time that both Chicago baseball teams are good at the same time. It feels like it has been a very long time since the Cubs and White Sox have both been good at the same time. The last time both teams made the playoffs in the same season was in 2008.

It looks like both teams are in position to make the postseason in this abbreviated 2020 season. That is not a huge accomplishment with the expanded playoff format put in place for this year, but 2020 may not be the last time these teams have a chance to advance beyond the regular season.

The Cubs seem to be entering a decline after a five-season stretch of competitive play, including a World Series title in 2016, but still might have a few seasons left before they fall out of the picture.

Contracts are running out for Cubs stars Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez, and the resolutions of their contract situations will certainly play a role in the competitiveness of the team.

The White Sox, on the other hand, are a team on the rise. Young hitters like Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert will likely bolster the White Sox lineup for years to come. Even players that seem like veterans now, Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson, are still just in their mid-20s.

The Cubs and White Sox do not play very often, being in different leagues, but it would be lots of fun for those few games to be important for both teams.

The crosstown series has mostly been a fun side note, not bearing much real meaning for either team in the scope of a 162-game season.

How fun would it be if the Cubs and White Sox met late in the season with both teams in the middle of a playoff race, or better yet, met in the World Series?

A crosstown World Series remains a longshot. The last time the Cubs and White Sox met in the World Series was in 1906, when the White Sox beat the heavily-favored Cubs in six games. Maybe 2020 will be a good time for a rematch.

Adam Tumino is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].