Here we go again, another season underway and the Indians only look better. Carrying a Cy Young and two MVP finalists with them, they have only one target in their sights, a World Series title. Coming so close just to lose can be the biggest motivation a team needs. They have endured that for two seasons in a row now. Terry Francona is ready to lead this city to its long-awaited Championship.

Experience

The Indians do not shy away from reaching the postseason, the only problem they've faced is winning it all. In 2016 they overcame all odds to sweep the Boston Red Sox.

This was the first sign that maybe the underdog Indians have what it takes to win it all. Sweeping a team in the playoffs is not easy. It's even more difficult when you win two of the three in one of the most electric ballparks in the world.

While it was exciting to see the Indians beat the Red Sox in three games, it was wildly overlooked. Everyone chalked it up as just a fluke. "The Red Sox choked". Still, no one was ready to qualify the Indians as a serious contender. They then started to turn eyes after beating the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays in five games. This also showcased the true masterpiece that is Andrew Miller's slider. Miller pitched 11.2 innings through the ALDS and ALCS giving up no runs on five hits and striking out an absurd 21 batters.

This incredible performance earned him the ALCS MVP honors.

This brings us to the heartbreak of Chicago. Every Indians fan knows how this one ends. I do not think of it as — the Indians blew a 3-1 lead. You will hear that from any Chicago Cubs fan, but it is not entirely accurate. While they may have lost after 3-1, this injured, underdog team won three games against the best team in the world on the biggest stage in baseball.

A team that was never supposed to make it out of the first round ended up putting the Cubs on the spot. It also gave us one of the most exciting hits in Indians history when Rajai Davis hit a game-tying home run in the eighth inning against a pitcher who was supposedly "unhittable". But, as the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once said, "You can't win unless you learn how to lose".

Progression

While the Indians played a very slow offseason, they lost a few key pieces but still managed to keep the heart of the team in Cleveland. This team is still completely capable of winning it all and dethroning the Houston Astros. They have one of the most complete teams in baseball and they are only getting better.

Last season, the Indians had three players finish in the top 10 for AL MVP voting (Ramirez, Lindor, Kluber). On top of this, Corey Kluber won the Cy Young for the second time in his career, with ace-in-the-works, Carlos Carrasco, coming in at fourth in the voting. If this doesn't show promise, I don't know what does.

Hunger

One thing that you can take away from watching sports your whole life is that anyone can win, at any time, against anyone.

The underdog Philadelphia Eagles just bulldozed their way through the playoffs, defeating the New England Patriots in an improbable, but fascinating win. What drove them there? Hunger. They wanted the win and gave everything they had for it. Remind you of anyone?

After falling shy of the trophy two years in a row, the Indians are tired of losing. Their stars are groomed, and they are readier than ever to make their mark in history. When asked about the 2017 season, Lindor said, "To me, last year was fun. We had a great year. But to me, it wasn't a successful season. I want to win. That's not a successful season because we didn't finish. I want to finish." They possibly have one of the most challenging paths they've ever had, with the incredibly stacked Red Sox, Yankees, and Astros standing in their way. This will not stop them from reaching their goal. The Indians are here, and they have the fire in their eyes.
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