Chicago Cubs fans named best fan base in baseball again in Fandom 250

CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 01: Justin Grimm #52 of the Chicago Cubs tosses his hat to the fans after the last regular season game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field on October 1, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The Reds defeated the Cubs 3-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

For the second time in as many years, Chicago Cubs fans are ranked as the best fanbase in all of Major League Baseball in the annual Fandom 250.

After topping the Fandom 250 in 2016, following a World Series championship, Chicago Cubs fans ranked 12th overall in 2017 – but again led all Major League Baseball fan bases on the list. If you’ve been to Wrigley Field anytime recently, it’s not hard to see why.

Chicago drew north of 3,000,000 fans to the Friendly Confines in 2017, narrowly missing out on the pace from their title season. After a lackluster start to the campaign, dealing with what many deemed a World Series hangover, the Cubs roared to life in the second half.

After the All-Star Break, Chicago put up one of the best records in all of baseball. And, after clinching a second-straight National League Central crown, postseason baseball again awaited Joe Maddon‘s club.

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In a crazy Game 5 of the NLDS, the Cubs somehow advanced to the League Championship Series for a third-consecutive year before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Those same Dodgers then took the Houston Astros seven games in the Fall Classic, although they ultimately came up short.

Ricketts family has changed everything

More than anything, in my mind, this is a testament to the Ricketts family. Not only has this ownership group put together one of the best teams in baseball on an annual basis, but they’ve simply put their money where their mouth is.

Tom Ricketts refuses to settle for anything less than the best. Theo Epstein runs the baseball ops department with Jed Hoyer. Joe Maddon makes the calls in the dugout. Crane Kenney helped revolutionize both Wrigley Field and the surrounding area in the 1060 Project, which continues this offseason.

Wrigley Field is no longer a summer destination. Thanks to the Park at Wrigley, the Confines are now a year-round hot spot. The passion that has always sustained Cubs fans runs deeper and more fervently than ever before – and they finally have a product to put it all toward.

So, here’s to you, Cubs fans. You’ve earned this honor. In fact, I think it’s time we make it a three-peat. That’s a Chicago thing. And, let’s be honest. There’s no way any other fan base in Major League Baseball bleeds for their team like we do on the North Side.