[ot-caption title=”Kris Bryant and the Cubs hope this is the year the dreaded drought comes to an end. (via Alec Brzezinski, SportingNews)”]

The 2015 MLB Postseason caught a lot of people off guard. The NLCS featured neither the Nationals nor the Dodgers, but instead the upstart Cubs and fireballing Mets. Entering the 2016 season, there is no shortage of questions. The Red Sox made a huge splash signing David Price to a record contract, a record that stood for about a day until the Diamondbacks shocked the baseball world by signing Zack Greinke. The defending champion Royals are flying under the radar again. Spring Training is already here, and the countdown is on in the wait for Opening Day. Here are the top four storylines entering the 2016 league year.

1. Is this the year for the Cubs?

The Chicago Cubs are, without question, the story entering the 2016 season. Led by Rookie of the Year 3B Kris Bryant, the Cubs and their young core only improved over the offseason. They did not lose any key parts. Instead, they took huge players from their division rival down in St. Louis, and they stole Ben Zobrist in a bidding war with the Mets. With the addition of Jason Heyward and John Lackey, the Cubs are certainly in the discussion to contend for (deep breath) the World Series. A rotation headlined by Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta received some much needed help with the signing of the aforementioned Lackey. The lineup can flat out pummel the ball. It is also worth bringing up General Manager Theo Epstein. If he can break a second curse, is he a lock for Cooperstown? Brace yourselves for a long season Cubs fans because wherever the Cubs go, the media will follow.

Cubs projected lineup:

1. Dexter Fowler, OF
2. Jason Heyward, OF
3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
4. Kris Bryant, 3B
5. Kyle Schwarber OF/C
6. Ben Zobrist, 2B
7. Miguel Montero, C
8. Addison Russell, SS
9. Pitcher

2. Who are the new-look Diamondbacks, and can they contend?

The Diamondbacks are seeing the same thing we are. The window is closing. It’s almost time to pay OF A.J. Pollock, and he and Paul Goldschmitd cannot carry the team without a pitching staff. With that in mind, GM Dave Stewart took a risk with a small money team and blew everyone out of the water with his $34 million contract offer to Zack Greinke. He followed that up with a trade to Atlanta that sent the 2015 first overall pick SS Dansby Swanson amongst others for Shelby Miller. So, with the biggest moves of the offseason, can the Diamondbacks contend with the Cubs and Mets in the NL? The short answer is yes, but the long verdict is no. They can certainly win the NL West, as the cash-burning Dodgers may be an easy out this year, and the Giants’ season could go either due north or straight south. In the end, though, they do not have the depth that the Cubs and Mets offer. While their flashy names and new uniforms are intriguing, the Diamondbacks may disappoint this season.

3. What about those Royals?

Last year, fresh off of their surprise AL champion season, the Royals weren’t even a popular pick to win the AL Central. They stayed hot all season, and rode September momentum into the postseason to bring a championship to Kansas City. After only losing Ben Zobrist and Johnny Cueto, who played just half of a season for them last year, the Royals are in prime position to make another deep run. The entire bullpen is back, along with C Salvador Perez and 1B Eric Hosmer. One lesson all baseball fans should have learned by now is that we should never count out these Royals.

4. The NL is packed with contenders, but who will rise up to challenge the Cubs and Mets?

It’s an even year, so the Giants will win the World Series. Meanwhile, expectations are as high as ever for the Dodgers and Nationals, whose time may be running out. The Pirates may lose Andrew McCuthchen to free agency in two years, and they are also running out of time. All of these potential NL contenders have huge obstacles in the way, and they come in the form of the Mets and Cubs. If these two teams meet up in the NLCS again this season, we might as well just book them both to play in that series for (at least) the next five years. The Pirates have the most to lose because if a 98 win season last year was not enough, then what will be? It is simply the Mets and Cubs year in the NL.

2016 will be a great season for baseball fans, and it will reveal a lot about baseball’s foreseeable future. Here are my WAY too soon predictions for October.

AL East Winner: Red Sox

AL Central: Royals

AL West: Astros

NL East: Mets

NL Central: Cubs

NL West: Giants

World Series: Astros vs. Mets

Winner: Mets

SOURCES: Rotochamp, Spotrac, Baseball Reference.