Ever since that controversial 2003 National League Championship Series, it has not been very pretty for the Cubs, besides when they won back-to-back division crowns in 2007 and 2008. Unfortunately in both trips to the playoffs, they were never able to get out of the first round.
The Cubs are now in rebuilding mode, but better days are ahead, as management has done an exceptional job rebuilding their farm system in just a short time. Now they have a solid farm system, with many young prospects expected to be part of the Cubs core for the years to come.
According to MLB.com, the Cubs have five players ranked in the top 100 prospects. These five players are shortstop Javier Baez (9th), outfielders Albert Almora (21st) and Jorge Soler (25th), and third basemen Kris Bryant (35th) and Mike Olt (57th). All of these players are expected to be in the majors within the next two to three years, along with some young, talented pitching prospects.
If most of their talented prospects are able to find success in the majors, along with some veteran pieces, the Cubs could realistically be World Series contenders. Theo Epstein, President of Baseball Operations for the Cubs, was the General Manager of the Red Sox in 2004 when they broke their 86 year drought of winning a World Series, and was with them when they won it all again in 2007.
The reason they were able to do this was because of their player development, and ability to acquire veteran players to fill out their roster. This is exactly what the Cubs are doing and will be doing within the next couple seasons.
The sky is the limit for the Cubs, with their wealth of talent, young prospects. This team can be competitive within the next few seasons. As long as they have some luck on their side, they will finally break there over century long World Series title drought by 2018.
What are your thoughts of the Chicago Cubs? Can they win a World Series by 2018? Leave your thoughts below.
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What do you need to be a successful, World Series winning baseball franchise? A first rate farm system and little bit of luck. Many teams have proven that you can't build a dynasty through free agency. Also, many teams have proven that if your farm team blows, its clearly reflected in the standing with a poor record. Just check out the woeful Milwaukee Brewers. Success in the majors results from success on the farm. Let's see if the Cubs are an example of this!
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