The calendar has turned to April and that means that baseball is back. The Kansas City Royals will look to defend their title after defeating the New York Mets in the World Series last season. They are not seen as the favorites, though. Several teams built up their rosters in the offseason, and now there are new favorites. Here are some of the major storylines going into the season.

Can the Chicago Cubs Win it all?

The Chicago Cubs are currently four to one favorites to win the World Series, according to Westgate Superbook Las Vegas. The Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908, which is one of the longest droughts of any major league baseball team. They are said to be cursed, and it would be truly a monumental moment if they can win the World Series. They have arguably the most talented team in the majors. Their talent is all young as well so they should be good for years to come. They are led by a veteran pitching staff, which features Jake Arrieta, John Lackey, and Jon Lester. They also have a ton of young talent on offense that features Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Jason Heyward, and Anthony Rizzo.

The Growth of Young Talent

The young talent in Major League Baseball is the best it has been in years. There are so many young superstars that are poised for big seasons this year. Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Kris Bryant, and Carlos Correa are just some of the young stars that are poised for big years. It is truly a golden age for baseball. The talent has never been better, and the game should be in good standing for years to come. It will be greatly entertaining to see how all the young talent progresses and where it ends up taking the game in the coming years.

Who is Coming out of the American League?

The American League pennant seems to be wide open this year. The current favorites, according to Westgate Superbook Las Vegas, are the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and the New York Yankees. All of those teams have relatively close odds of winning the World Series. The defending champion Kansas City Royals are seen as 18 to one favorites to win the World Series, which is relatively low to the other teams mentioned. The Royals should not be discounted, though. They lost some talent, but overall they have most of their nucleus back from their championship team last year. They should compete along with the other teams for the American League pennant.