North: Both Cubs and White Sox are hot stocks right now

So far, Chicago's two baseball teams are letting all of our hopes and dreams from the offseason seem a little more real.

In my world, the trend is your friend, and the Chicago Cubs and the White Sox are both hot stocks right now.

The Cub are off to a great start and are living up to their news clippings. It is a very talented but mostly young team with just the right sprinkling of veterans such as John Lester, Dexter Fowler and Ben Zobrist.

Now keep in mind we continue to hear comparisons to other teams such as the 1969 and 1970 Cubs, but what happened then? Not a World Series, that's for sure. Or any other time, so can we please drop the comparisons?

This Cubs team, however, doesn't seem to care, and is capable of writing history on its own terms.

Are there some concerns? Oh sure.

• Joe Maddon continues to test fate by playing players out of position. Kris Bryant can probably play anywhere, but in the major leagues he really should be a third baseman. After the season- ending injury experience to Kyle Schwarber, why test the baseball gods?

• John Lackey is off to a heck of a start (3-1), but a 4.97 ERA isn't sterling and might be troubles later in the season.

• There isn't a third issue to cite because they believe they can win and they are proving it on the field.

As for the South side of town, I tweeted on Saturday after the White Sox beat the Texas Rangers (4-3) that this team had a little of the AL pennant-winning 1959 team in them.

They have great pitching with Chris Sale, Mat Latos and the underrated José Quintana, plus a better defensive infield with Todd Frazier, Jimmy Rollins and Brett Lawrie. Adam Eaton moving to right field has worked well so far.

The triple play on Friday night started with a solid play by Eaton. If the White Sox can score at least 4 runs, they will be in almost any game.

I have my concerns about the Sox, too.

• Jose Abreu has to hit. The Sox need him to produce if they want to dominate.

• They stay too long with certain players like they did with Dayan Viciedo. Let's not make the same mistake with Avisail Garcia, whose 2015 inconsistencies have surfaced again. Cut the string earlier.

• Robin Ventura is becoming a better manager, but he is still overmatched at times. The Sox allowed two suicide squeezes in a row last week against the Los Angeles Angels, resulting in a loss. That should never have happened.

Ventura has improved, though, especially with the pitching staff led by Don Cooper. There is no doubt the players play hard for Ventura and seem to respect him.

So yes, I'm feeling pretty good about both squads and their postseason chances right now.

Could “it” happen? Just maybe … dare I say it out loud? No, it's a little too early, but stranger things have happened.

Program notes:

Follow me on Twitter@ north2north, and listen to Fox Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman and myself from 5-8 a.m. Monday through Friday on Fox Sports radio, and check me out on iHeart radio or Foxsportsradio.com.

• North's column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.