This Dexter Fowler video to Cody Bellinger is proof Cubs will win the World Series

On the eighth anniversary of his surprise arrival at Cubs camp, the former fan favorite outfielder welcomed the reigning NL Comeback Player of the Year back to Chicago.

World Series - Cleveland Indians v Chicago Cubs - Game Four
World Series - Cleveland Indians v Chicago Cubs - Game Four / Ezra Shaw/GettyImages

It may not have taken hold the way it did with Dexter Fowler back in 2016, but 'you go, we go' certainly applied to Cody Bellinger and the Chicago Cubs offense in 2023.

In Cubs wins, Bellinger carried a .965 OPS, a nearly-200 point improvement over his OPS in losses. When he was clicking at the plate, things generally went well for Chicago. Now, back in the fold on a three-year, $80 million deal with a pair of opt-outs, Bellinger will have the chance to spark the Cubs' offense again this season.

Fowler and Bellinger have more in common than just the fact they both played center field for the Cubs. They share the same uniform number, #24, and the return of both men to the North Side took place exactly eight years apart on Feb. 24. Here's what Fowler had to say after news of Bellinger's return broke over the weekend.

Cubs hoping Cody Bellinger can bring another World Series to Chicago

Of course, neither Bellinger nor Fowler achieved their ultimate goal in year one with Chicago. In 2015, the Cubs fell short of the World Series after running into the Mets in the NLCS. Last year, despite Bellinger's monster return to form, the Cubs spectacularly collapsed in September and missed the postseason altogether.

So what does all this mean? The Cubs are destined for another Fall Classic. We can only hope year two at Wrigley nets the same results for Bellinger as it did for Fowler who led off Game 7 of the 2016 World Series with a huge home run off Cleveland ace Corey Kluber to open the scoring.

In all seriousness, the Cubs' playoff odds jumped sharply after the Bellinger deal was reported, and, in what is expected to be a very tight NL Central, bringing him back, even if just for one year, could be the difference-maker that sends the Cubs back to October.

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