Chicago Cubs poised to hoist plenty of hardware this season

Aug 30, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Cubs players swarm starting pitcher Jake Arrieta (49) gets a bath from a cooler after throwing a no hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Cubs won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Make no mistake about it: this is a season for the history books on the North Side of Chicago.

The 2015 summer has been memorable – and that’s putting it mildly. The Chicago Cubs are making believers out of just about everyone who watches them, including national baseball writers who initially pegged the club as one year from contending.

When we look back, this season will be defined by the long winning streaks and the baby bears that injected life into a storied franchise that has been treading water for the past half-decade.

But there’s more to this group than just the team, as a whole. Several key players, including Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Jake Arrieta have a fair shot at bringing home some awards of their own at season’s end.

With the team headed to the postseason, let’s hope there’s one more theme that emanates through the campaign when we look back: hardware.

Next: The man pulling all the right levers