Sports Illustrated Won't Jinx the Cubs Fully, Going With Houston Astros Instead

Sports Illustrated has come out with their picks for the World Series. I’m sorry, Cubs and Astros fans. There’s always next year.

If you went by Sports Illustrated’s recent picks, the Indians would have finally broken their World Series drought last year (missed playoffs), the Washington Nationals would have been back-to-back champions (lost NLDS in 2014, missed playoffs in 2013), the Angels would have won in Albert Pujols’ first year (missed playoffs), and the Phillies would have won with their power arms in 2011 (lost NLDS).

So, if you are keeping score at home, the last five World Series picks have missed the playoffs more often than not, and none even reached the League Championship Series.

Sports Illustrated is doubling down on the young Astros, who surged to a playoff appearance last year. In 2014, Sports Illustrated tabbed the Astros as the 2017 World Series Champions. The positive for superstitious Cubs fans is that while everyone seems to be praising the Cubs, at least SI didn’t go all-in, expecting only the first World Series appearance since 1945 for Chicago.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals, two-time defending AL champs, will get to look at their regional cover of the Astros on Sports Illustrated.