From 2015-2018, the Chicago Cubs were one of the elite teams in MLB.

They made the playoffs all four years, advancing to the NLCS in three of them. In the one year they were victorious in that round, they were able to defeat the Cleveland Indians in seven games to win the World Series.

Since that stretch, the team has fallen on tough times.

Their last postseason win came in 2017, when they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 to stave off elimination for one more night.

A spot in the playoffs has been clinched twice since then, but the Cubs have gone 0-3 in their Wild Card games. They have missed the postseason altogether in five out of the last six campaigns, but that is something they are looking to change in 2025.

Chicago had one of the better offseasons, acquiring star right fielder Kyle Tucker to become the team’s new offensive anchor. A stellar two-way player, he also has a Gold Glove on his resume, as the Cubs have one of the best outfield depth charts in baseball.

In a second trade with the Houston Astros, Chicago also addressed their need for a closer, acquiring Ryan Pressly to help Porter Hodge late in games.

What was a weakness at points in 2024 now looks like a strength as the bullpen was also bolstered by the addition of Eli Morgan in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians. His teammate, starting pitcher Matthew Boyd, also signed a free agent deal with the team.

This is a team without any glaring holes currently. Technically, third base looks like one with Jon Berti as the projected starter based on the 40-man roster, but top prospect Matt Shaw is expected to compete for and win the Opening Day job during Spring Training.

There are always some concerns with a rookie taking over on a full-time basis, but he looks ready for the role based on his production in Triple-A.

With a great manager in Craig Counsell calling the shots, this is a group ready to make some noise in the National League in 2025.

And based on PECOTA projections, that is exactly what they are going to do.

Fans had to be excited when their season standings had the Cubs winning 90 games and taking home the NL Central as the only team over the .500 mark in the division.

But, their excitement will reach another level with the World Series projections that PECOTA has shared.

Chicago currently has the fifth best percentage to win the championship this year at 7.1%. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers (20.7%), Atlanta Braves (9.7%), New York Yankees (9.0%) and Baltimore Orioles (8.2%) are higher.

With the rest of their division seemingly taking a step back this winter and the improvements they made to their roster, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that they are projected to be a team on the rise.

Their road to a World Series title will not be easy, as going through the superteam that the Dodgers have put together will be a tall task for every franchise.