The Chicago Cubs entered the 2016 season as the favorites to win the World Series. 103 regular season wins and two playoff series later, nothing has changed.

Offensive brilliance from the likes of Willson Contreras and Javier Baez propelled the Cubs to a remarkable come-from-behind Game 4 win on the road in San Francisco in the NLDS. Missile-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman polished off the historic comeback by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth.

Wizardry on the mound from Kyle Hendricks along with early offense off of Clayton Kershaw helped the Cubs overcome the Bartman hysteria in Game 6 at Wrigley, defeating the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. Willson Contreras and Anthony Rizzo supplied solo home runs to widen the lead as the game wore on. The Chicago bullpen was dominant, locking down the first pennant for the Chicago Cubs since 1945. Jon Lester and Javier Baez received co-MVP honors during the postgame festivities. Lester finished the series with 13 innings pitched and only 2 runs allowed while Baez hit a whopping .318 and made his presence known in the field. It is the first NLCS co-MVP crown awarded since 1990.  

The Chicago Cubs have not enjoyed much playoff success, or even playoff presence, in the last couple of decades. The sheer dominance of the 2015 and 2016 Cubs serves as an energizer not only to Cubs fans but to the city of Chicago as a whole.

“The success of the Cubs means everything for the city of Chicago,” noted junior Brendan Lacey. “The anticipation for that World Series ring is almost unbearable after 108 years.”

There are many reasons for the supreme success of the Chicago Cubs, one being the fantastic leadership and baseball knowledge of Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, and Joe Maddon. These men are the President of Baseball Operations, the General Manager and the Manager respectively.   

“Theo Epstein is the true reason that the Cubs have acquired all of these young players that have given a bright future to the Cubs organization,” said junior Jack Everett. “Joe Maddon is the best manager in the MLB because he is able to develop the high-profile young players and turn them into superstars.”  

The past two seasons for the Chicago Cubs have served to remind the baseball world that there is and always has been a superior team in the Windy City. Wrigley Field is one of the most notable sports venues in the United States, totaling 3,232,420 attendees in the 2016 MLB season. Contrastly, the White Sox finished 26th in attendance among MLB teams this season with 1,746,293 total spectators.     

“Even though Sox and Cubs fans live in the same city, they are very different from each other,” said Everett. “There will never be a day where Sox and Cubs fans can coexist.”

The viewpoint from fans of the south-siders on the success of the Cubs stems from jealousy. Die-hard Sox fan Jared Dunnett weighed in on the discussion.

“At the moment most Sox fans will root for any and every team to beat the Cubs,” Dunnett explained. “The relationship between Cubs and Sox fans is one of slight hatred but mostly jealousy.”

The resiliency and constant will to win of this Cubs team have been compared to the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks, who at the time were without a Stanley Cup Final victory for 49 years. That Blackhawks team enjoyed unbelievable comebacks and come-from-behind wins throughout the playoffs, something to which this Cubs team is no stranger.

“The fact that the Blackhawks ended the championship drought after being one of the worst franchises in sports is truly an incredible accomplishment,” said Everett. “Cubs fans believe that this is the year we end this [championship] drought.”

The Cubs will now face the AL-Central Champion Cleveland Indians in the Fall Classic. The two teams have not won a World Series for a combined 176 years. The Indians defeated the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS despite being underdogs in the series and followed that victory by shutting down the explosive Toronto offense in the ALCS. Even though the Indians will present a tough challenge for the Cubs, the North-Siders remain favorites to give fans the gift of a lifetime.