1. The Chicago Cubs vs. the St. Louis Cardinals
It’s not difficult to understand why Cardinals fans are so proud of their team. Throughout baseball history they have been one of the game’s most successful franchises. They’ve won 11 World Series titles, second only to the Yankees, and over the past few seasons they’ve been the team to beat in the NL Central. They’ve won the division three straight seasons now. Every year analysts and fans seem to predict a step back for St. Louis, and every season they find a way to keep on winning.
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Famously, the history of the Chicago Cubs has been much different. They’re still seeking their first world championship since 1908, and during that period of time they’ve had major runs of futility. From 2010-2014 they won no more than 73 games, and few would argue that they were a true rival of the Cardinals. However, in 2015 it became obvious that things were changing in the NL Central.
Fans knew that the Cubs minor league system was full of talent, and in 2015 those players began to show their skills at the major league level. The Cubs went on to win 97 games, but they still couldn’t get over the hump of a 100-win Cardinals team. However, those two teams met in the divisional series of the playoffs and Chicago sent St. Louis packing in four games (3-1). With a bevy of young talent it became clear that the Cardinals had a worthy challenger for the NL Central throne.
The events of this offseason stoked the fires of this rivalry even more. Jason Heyward spurned an offer to re-sign with the Cardinals, and signed a deal with the Cubs instead. A player openly choosing to go to Chicago instead of St. Louis would have been unthinkable several seasons ago, but it helped show the shifting power in the division. As 2016 began the Cardinals found themselves in the unfamiliar position of underdog in the NL Central.
Next: Four Potential Comeback Pitchers
These two teams are in the midst of their first series of the season. So far the Cubs have taken the first two games in the series. This has the potential to be a banner year for this rivalry, and two of the most passionate fan bases in baseball are doing little to downplay the match-up. The Cardinals clearly have the upper hand throughout history, but the Cubs look poised for a potentially unprecedented run of dominance.