Cubs Top Prospects Go Back-to-Back-to-Back In Cactus League Game

This is pretty much how the Cubs drew it up. Tuesday three of the club’s top prospects — Jorge Soler, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant — hit back-to-back-to-back home runs off Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer. All three of the homers were impressive shots.

The Cubs, despite a series of last-place finishes and not coming within hailing distance of .500 last season, find themselves with 14-to-1 odds to win the World Series … in 2015. Only five teams have lower odds heading into the season. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but the players are buying into the hype. Monday Bryant told USA Today:

"“We want the pressure,” Bryant says. “Usually when there’s pressure, there’s something good at the end of it. We’re not going to let the pressure affect the way we play. We want it.”"

Whatever the Cubs actually do on the field this year, they’re going to be a big part of the early-season conversation and open the season on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball against the Cardinals on April 5. The Cubs are certainly coming, but getting ahead of the Cardinals and Pirates in the National League Central will take more than some Cactus League highlights, however impressive they might look in mid-March.