Baseball is back. And, for the first time in 108 years, the Cubs open the season as the reigning World Series Champs. It is arguably one of the most exciting times ever to be a Cubs fan because this team has a legitimate shot to repeat that success for years to come. The main reason for believing this is due to their incredible young core of players, all of whom will remain with the team for the foreseeable future.
This year the Cubs have seven regular position players who are 27-years-old or younger, highlighted by stars like Anthony Rizzo and last season’s NL MVP Kris Bryant. Nearly all of the team’s players also have invaluable playoff experience. It is a core that most GMs would kill for. Speaking of front office guys, Theo Epstein, the Cubs’ President of Baseball Operations was named “World’s Best Leader” by Fortune magazine this year, beating out notable figures such as Pope Francis, Elon Musk, Angela Merkel and, well, everyone.
The team did lose some key players in the offseason, most notably Dexter Fowler, who left in free agency to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s been replaced by a tandem of veteran Jon Jay and up-and-comer Albert Almora, Jr. The team also lost Aroldis Chapman, the fireballing closer who came over in a trade at the deadline last season and helped get the team to the World Series last year, as well as David Ross, the veteran father figure who was a fan favorite. Ross is currently participating in ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” television show. But for the most part, the Cubs have kept nearly all of the pieces that helped break the curse.
Last year’s World Series victory is something Chicago and its surrounding cities will not soon forget, but there’s still plenty more excitement to come in the near future. So, if you get the chance, pick up some sunflower seeds or peanuts and get out to Wrigley to catch a game or two this spring.