The Chicago Cubs have Major League Baseball buzzing at the prospect of seeing the game’s long-time loveable losers end their century-plus World Series title drought in 2016.
The Cubs were a group of over-achieving youngsters when they powered to the National League Championship Series last season, only to have their hearts broken by the New York Mets.
They are still one of the youngest teams in the National League, but boast the playoff experience of last year as well as the additions of outfielder Jason Heyward and pitcher John Lackey—signed away from NL Central rivals St. Louis.
Heyward and Lackey join a team that already includes NL Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Jake Arrieta, NL Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant, two-time All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo and big-hitting rookie Kyle Schwarber.
With that talent at his command, it’s a good bet that managerial mastermind Joe Maddon can take these Cubs deep—perhaps to a first World Series title in 108 years.
Maddon is all for “embracing the target” as the 2016 season gets underway on Sunday.
But Bryant said he’ll be taking the lengthy campaign one game at a time.
“I don’t even focus on it,” Bryant said of the team’s chances of ending the curse. “On paper it looks good.”
And, Bryant added, the Cubs have something to prove after being swept in the NLCS by the Mets last year. “We didn’t end the way we wanted it to end and this year we’re going to do all we can to go even further,” he said.
The Kansas City Royals would seem to have nothing to prove after beating the Mets in five games to win last year’s World Series.
Their title run followed a seven-game loss to the San Francisco Giants in the 2014 World Series, and the Royals don’t mind admitting they are irked by doubters who say their reign will end.
“The players talk about it,” said Royals hitting coach Dale Sveum. “It was the first thing brought up in the (batting) cage.
“Anytime the so-called gurus talk about stupid stuff like that, it’s a good building block and locker room material to prove people wrong.”
Most of the title winning team is back, including three-time All-Star catcher Salvador Perez, the World Series Most Valuable Player.
Third baseman Mike Moustakas, four-time Gold Glove winning leftfielder Alex Gordon, slugging centerfielder Lorenzo Cain and first baseman Eric Hosmer, who drove in 97 runs last season, are among those returning.
“Complacency is not an issue with these guys,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “They have a chance to make history, and they want to take advantage of it.”

Opening Day Series rematch
The Royals launch their bid for a title repeat tomorrow, hosting the Mets in a World Series rematch that is one of three games on the first day of the season, with a full slate of games to follow on Monday.
It opens a regular season that will mark the halfway stage with the All-Star Game in San Diego, California, on July 12 and conclude on October 2.
The Mets romped to the NL East title last year as the pre-season favorite Washington Nationals imploded. They boast the game’s best starting pitching rotation with Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler.
Count on perennial National League contenders San Francisco and St. Louis to be in the hunt again.
St. Louis, with pitcher Adam Wainwright back from a torn Achilles, will be trying to maintain supremacy in an NL Central that also includes the Cubs and a Pittsburgh Pirates team eager to translate recent regular-season success to a solid playoff run.
The Giants boosted their rotation and field a balanced team trying to continue their recent trend of winning the World Series in alternate years -- 2010, 2012 and 2014.
San Francisco will be pursued in the NL West by the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose new manager Dave Roberts will be counting on left-handed ace Clayton Kershaw and the rest of his rotation to fill the void left by the departure of Zack Greinke.
The Royals will have plenty of competition in their bid for a third straight American League pennant.
The Houston Astros, led by 2015 Cy Young Award-winner Dallas Keuchel, 2015 AL Rookie of the Year Carlos Correa and 2014 major league batting champion Jose Altuve are solid World Series contenders from a tough AL West division whose 2015 winners, the Texas Rangers, bring back almost everyone from last season.

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