USA Today: Cubs won't repeat as champions |
USA Today released their major league baseball 2017 staff predictions on Thursday and none of their seven writers picked the Chicago Cubs to win the 2017 World Series.
"There is a little more doubt surrounding the Cubs this season than there was entering last year’s postseason," USA Today said. "They lost Fowler, their spark plug of a leadoff hitter and a superb defender, to the rival St. Louis Cardinals. Schwarber is a defensive liability but must play if the Cubs want to use his booming bat. Jay and Almora should help offset a lot of the lost defense from Fowler in center field, but neither is the all-around offensive player Fowler is." The snub of nobody picking the favorite Cubs seems plausible but none of the writers picked any members of the Cubs to win the NL MVP or NL CY Young either. Not one vote for Kris Bryant? This is certainly a 'hot take' as we are only three days away from Cubs vs. Cardinals on Opening Night at Busch Stadium. When the Cubs play Sunday, it will be the first time in 16,945 games they open as defending World Series champs. https://t.co/eYDCkddVBY pic.twitter.com/plP3Zprwb6
