Tom Ricketts thinks Chicago Cubs ‘have the best team in our division'

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For the first time since 2015, expectations around the Cubs aren’t that high.

Sure, a significant core of the 2016 World Series-winning team is still around but, also for the first time since 2015, the Cubs are coming off a season in which they did not make the playoffs. Plus, the offseason hasn’t inspired much confidence that the team will improve from its 84 wins in 2019.

Despite that, owner Tom Ricketts talked the talk about his team being the best in the NL Central.

“I think we have the best team in our division,” Ricketts said during a press conference from spring training on Monday. “I think we have a really dynamic, exciting new manager. I think the players are going to play very, very hard for David Ross. Barring some kind of crazy injuries, I think we should win our division and get back in the playoffs.”

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The Cubs’ offseason lacked a notable addition on paper. Here, Ricketts is alluding to Ross being that notable addition. If things got stale under Joe Maddon, perhaps that was a reason for underachievement. Expecting Ross to be the biggest reason for a turnaround is a lot to put on a rookie manager with no coaching experience, but it would be weird if Ricketts didn’t hype up his own guy.

Recently signed Jason Kipnis agrees that the Cubs have the best roster in the division on paper. Kipnis told a story about texting Anthony Rizzo about it when he talked to the media from Mesa on Sunday.

“They got a good core here. I’m well-aware of that. They’re well-aware of that, too,” Kipnis said. “I texted him and called him, and asked him what happened last year because I look at rosters, I look at St. Louis’, I look at all that and I’m like, ‘I still would take your guys' roster.’”

Early projections don’t agree with Ricketts and Kipnis. The Cubs are not favored in the division as projected by USA Today, which put the Cubs at 82 wins, and PECOTA, which has the Cubs averaging 84.5 wins.

Still, Ricketts believes in his group to get to the playoffs.

“Once you’re in the playoffs, there’s no reason to think you won’t go all the way,” Ricketts said. “I think one of the things that people realize about baseball playoffs is it doesn’t matter what your record was during the season. Everyone has a chance to go all the way. So that’s what we have to do. We have to get back on top of our division and I think we have the right guys to do that.”

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