The 2017 Chicago Cubs Lacked That 'It' Factor

2017 wasn't necessarily a banner year for the Chicago Cubs. Well, for some teams, it would be considered a good year. But for the defending World Series champions, they fell short of their goal: to repeat. They just slid by the Washington Nationals in the Division series. Then come the NLCS, they weren't any competition for baseball's best team in the regular season: the LA Dodgers.

So, what exactly went wrong with the 2017 Chicago Cubs? With a roster that was almost the exact same as last year when they won it all, what changed? Why aren't they heading back to the World Series once again? I don't think anyone has the exact answers, but there are some reasons that factor in. Not just with their playoff showing, but with how they played in the regular season as well.

Lack of Consistency with the Pitching Staff

In the first half of the season before the All-Star break, the Cubs struggled immensely in all aspects. All of their starters had ERA's over four, including their most dominant arms like Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks. Their bullpen struggled to keep opposing lineups off the scoresheet too, with the majority of their relievers sporting ERA's over four.

Come the second half of the season, it totally changed around though. Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, and Jose Quintana all pitched very well. They all improved their ERA's to around the three mark, and it showed in the way this team played. They went 49-25 post-All-Star on their quest to top the Brewers for the NL Central title.

Come the postseason, the consistency lacked once again, with both the starters and relievers. For the most part, the starters did fairly well to keep their team in games. It's the bullpen that really struggled. Especially Mike Montgomery, Carl Edwards, and John Lackey.

But, what I mean by they didn't have that "it" factor, is they didn't have that fire and desire to be the best. I didn't see it in the Cubs. The Dodgers had that fire all year.

It's interesting because the Dodgers had the exact type of season the Cubs had in 2016. Best record in baseball, on a roll all season long, non-stop winning, everything clicking. The Cubs had to play catch-up in the second half to just win the division. Something I also noticed was the lack of excitement in the fans at Wrigley. There wasn't that same feel from 2016 where they were feigning for a chance to win a World Series for the first time since 1908.

Postseason Offense Was Non-Existent

If we take a look at the Cubs' offense during the season, it was kind of the same story as the pitching staff before the All-Star break. They hit .239 as a team, second-to-last in the big leagues. But, after the All-Star break, just like their pitching, it was a different story. The Cubbies hit .273 as a team, second-best in the big leagues.

Unfortunately, they couldn't carry that momentum into the playoffs. The Cubs hit a dismal .168. They didn't receive production from their main guys like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber. I didn't see the belief in their faces that they really believed they could repeat.

The Dodgers deserved to win that series. They had the exact type of season Chicago had last year, and look at what the Cubs did.

I know I'm not the only one when I say the Cubs just didn't give anyone that feel. The feeling that they were destined to repeat as World Champions. Don't get me wrong, it was an amazing season. This franchise has so much to look forward to in the future. The front office has done an outstanding job of drafting and nurturing the best talent possible and turning them into big league caliber ball players. A good part of their roster are players they have developed in their minor league system, along with bringing in some veteran guys who can mentor the younger players, like Ben Zobrist and Jon Jay.

The future is still bright for this franchise. This just wasn't their year. A lack of consistency turned out to be a silent killer for them. But don't worry Cubs fans, you still have lots to look forward to for years to come with this club.