St. Louis Cardinals set sights on holding Cubs in 2016

5. Can the Cardinals hold off the Cubs?

After watching the Cubs celebrate at their own expense in October, the Cardinals saw Chicago get two premier players in Lackey and Heyward to highlight their bold offseason.

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The addition of those key pieces, along with the signing of Ben Zobrist, positions the Cubs to remain relevant for some time, and they appear to be the biggest threat to the Cardinals’ run of three straight division titles.  There is still something that the Cubs are going to lack that St. Louis has plenty of, and that would be “experience.”

Yes, the Cubs have Lester and Zobrist who are two very good players and World Series champions, but the team as a whole does not have near the experience throughout the season and into the postseason than what the St. Louis Cardinals do.

I personally still see St. Louis as the favorite to win the division, even though there are many people that have already written the Cards’ off, however the division still comes through St. Louis.

Next: Could Gerardo Parra help the Cardinals outfield in 2016?

With Chicago surging, the Cardinals are going to lean on the same core that held the Cubs off in the 2015 National League Central race.  The two clubs will meet 19 times in 2016–the first clash coming on April 18th–in what should be a thrilling next chapter in a deep-seeded rivalry.  This should be a wild and interesting season for the fans of the St. Louis Cardinals, so hold on tight and let the ride begin.