MLB.com's Manny Randhawa pinch-hit on this edition while Jordan was home in Chicago this past weekend.

When the Cubs broke their 108-year World Series title drought by winning it all in 2016, it looked as though they would contend for a championship in the years to come.

It didn’t play out that way. Though Chicago reached the postseason in three of the next four years, there was no return to the Fall Classic, and the Cubs are entering the 2024 campaign looking to get back to the playoffs for the first time in four years.

The 2016 championship was glorious for the North Siders, who seemed to have a dynamic young core set up for sustained success. But by ’22, only three players from that group remained in a Cubs uniform: Kyle Hendricks, Willson Contreras and Jason Heyward. 

Gone were Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Báez and Kyle Schwarber. Just arriving were Patrick Wisdom, Nico Hoerner, Justin Steele and Adbert Alzolay.

But as the new season dawns this year, a glance at the roster shows that there is some significant World Series experience. For a team that missed the postseason by one game in 2023 while watching the club that edged it for the third National League Wild Card spot make a run all the way to the Fall Classic, a World Series appearance doesn’t seem far away. 

Far from it.

“I want to win the World Series.” That’s what right fielder Seiya Suzuki told Marquee Sports Network’s Elise Menaker during the Cubs’ Cactus League contest against the Guardians on Sunday afternoon.

And given the teammates who will be beside him on the field, Suzuki will have access to plenty of experience under the brightest lights of October as the latest iteration of the storied franchise tries to once again reach baseball’s pinnacle.

Cody Bellinger, whom the Cubs re-signed to a three-year, $80 million contract after his renaissance at the plate in 2023, has played in 18 World Series games. Shortstop Dansby Swanson helped the Braves win it all in '21, launching a pair of homers in a six-game win over the Astros. 

Catcher Yan Gomes has played in two World Series -- one against the Cubs while with Cleveland in 2016, and another with the Nationals in ’19. Reliever Hector Neris made three World Series appearances for Houston in ’22. And Hendricks, of course, was an indispensable member of the historic drought-busting Cubs of ’16.

The Fall Classic familiarity extends beyond the players. New manager Craig Counsell played in 13 World Series games and won a pair of rings. He scored the winning run in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series with the Marlins and played a key role in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, in which he helped the D-backs win it all in another dramatic finish.

The NL Central is said to be wide open in 2024. But the Cubs have some personnel who know what it's like to reach well beyond divisional dreams. Suzuki’s World Series wish is much more than a far-fetched fantasy.

David Bote’s Major League career has been disjointed because of injuries and underperformance. The infielder was an 18th-round Draft pick by the Cubs in 2012, among the members of former president of baseball operations Theo Epstein's first class, and he reached the big leagues by ’18. But since then, Bote has only played in more than 100 games in a season once (127 in ’19).

Bote spent last season with Triple-A Iowa, posting an .817 OPS with 14 home runs in 99 games. He was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training, and so far, he’s been impressive at the plate. On Sunday afternoon against the Guardians, he launched his third homer of the spring as he looks to make the team as a depth piece.

While much of the offseason buzz around the Cubs was about whether they’d re-sign Bellinger, successful teams often have smaller role players to thank for key contributions during the season. Could Bote be in the middle of a spring breakout that makes him a candidate for such a distinction?

Time will tell, but with his 1.341 OPS in the first eight games of Cactus League play, Bote is certainly off to a good start in his quest.

• Belli back with one goal: "Bring this team to the playoffs" Read more >>

• Bellinger confident he can build on '23 campaign Read more >>

• Shota (5 K's) whiffs one of MLB's best in his spring debut Read more >>

• Healthy again, Hendricks enjoying normal Spring Training Read more >>

• "I gotta do it again": After breakout year, Steele looking forward Read more >>

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