The case for the Cubs to win it all

As the old saying goes: It’s harder to stay on top than it is to make the climb. Coming into 2018, the recent experience of the Chicago Cubs stands in clear support of this idea. Although the club won its second straight National League Central title and reached the NLCS for the third straight year, it was a struggle unlike the previous two journeys, as it took nearly half a year for the then-defending champs to get in gear.

After falling to the Dodgers in an NLCS rematch, the Cubs enter the new year with the chance to chase as opposed to being pursued, a vantage point that has worked well for them during the Joe Maddon era.

With their competitive window still wide open and some familiar faces replaced by big-name offseason acquisitions, can the Cubs not only make a fourth straight NLCS appearance, but also claim a second World Series title in three years? Here are a handful of reasons why that could be, as well as a potential bump in the road that could curb that effort along the way.

Why the Cubs could win it all in 2018:

They’re focused, again. If anybody thought the idea of a World Series hangover was a fantasy, look no further than 2017 Cubs as proof positive of its reality. For the first three months of the year, they barely resembled the team they had been the previous season, as the effort exerted in previous postseason — and an offseason spent rejoicing in victory — hung on them like a shadow. However, a first half that saw only one Cub even made the All-Star game was washed away following a dominant second half, when the Cubs outscored the rest of the National League by more than 50 runs. All early indications say that it is the latter form of the club that has shown up in camp this year, and a flash back to the form of two years ago could follow.

There is still upside to be realized within the lineup. Kris Bryant being remarkable is a given, as is Anthony Rizzo being one of the toughest guys to pitch to in the game. However, away from the two marquee portions of the Cubs' lineup, there is still plenty of upside to realize. Both Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber had a rough go of it in 2017, but more should be expected from them this year. Meanwhile, Ian Happ, Javy Baez and Willson Contreras are all in the upswing portions of their young careers. There could be a potent convergence of careers on the North Side.

Wrigley's best bullpen yet? Joe Maddon has raved about his bullpen this year, championing it as the best one he has ever had at his disposal. It is a claim that could ring true, as upgrading the bullpen has been Theo Epstein’s focus for some time now. Replacing Wade Davis as closer will be Brandon Morrow. Morrow becomes the club’s fourth closer in three years after a remarkable season of setup work for the Dodgers in 2017. With Carl Edwards Jr., Pedro Strop, Justin Wilson, Steve Cishek, Brian Duensing and Mike Montgomery paving the road ahead of him, Maddon’s excitement could be very justified.

Why they won't win it all in 2018:

The rotation struggles. A major reason why things took so long to click for the Cubbies a year ago was due to their rotation being unable to capture the magic it had the year prior. The team’s ERA jumped by nearly an entire run in 2017, and the starting staff was the big culprit there. The potential of what Jose Quintana and Yu Darvish could bring over a full season is tantalizing, but Jon Lester is still the spine of the rotation and Kyle Hendricks can tip the scales in their favor between being average and elite. How much better (or at least consistent) Darvish can be than Jake Arrieta, whom he replaces in the rotation, will tell a big part of how the story unfolds this year. AIf a significant injury sidelines any of the top arms, including Tyler Chatwood, for too long, there is a significant drop-off from the front-line arms to Montgomery and Eddie Butler.