CLEVELAND -- Cubs super-utility man Ben Zobrist is no stranger to the World Series. He's making his third trip to the Fall Classic this year and he's been here with three different teams. Zobrist made it with the Rays in 2008, the Royals in 2015, and now the Cubs in 2016. Zobrist won a ring with Kansas City last season.

Even with experience like that, players never get used to playing in the World Series. No one takes it for granted. The experience does help calm the nerves and things like that, but as far as taking some of the fun away, forget about it. That won't happen. Especially now that Zobrist has a chance to make history with the Cubs.

"It feels different because (it's the Cubs)," said Zobrist on Monday when asked about reaching the World Series for a third time. "There's a lot of anticipation, a lot of excitement ... Knowing the history, it just adds a little more motivation of trying to make the first time you get there count."

There is no magic formula to winning the World Series. Just be good at as many things as possible. Offense, defense, pitching, baserunning, the whole nine. The fewer holes, the better your chances to win. The Cubs this year are one of the most complete teams we've seen in years, which is why they're the favorites.

The Royals last year were somewhat flawed, at least relative to these Cubs. There were some questions about their rotation and they finished near the bottom of the league in home runs. Kansas City wasn't prohibitive favorites like the Chicago, but Zobrist still sees some similarities between the two teams.

"I think overall, just very consistent players. Preparation, work ethic, in-game focus. All those things are very similar," said Zobrist. "I really think we've got a very similar psyche on this club to the Kansas City club. The personnel is a little different. That club was built a little more on speed and contact, especially in that ballpark. This team is built a little more on power and athleticism."

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Ben Zobrist thinks there are some similarities between the 2015 Royals and 2016 Cubs. USATSI

On the field, the 2016 Indians might be a better comparable to the 2015 Indians than the 2016 Cubs. The Tribe have some rotation issues due to injuries, they run the bases like mad, and they're a plucky mid-market club who continues to prove doubters wrong. The Cubs? The Cubs are a juggernaut. Everyone expects them to win.

"For us, we've kind of felt that (pressure) all year," Zobrist said. "Everybody expected us to do well. We don't even think about it out there. We just focus on doing our job. The ball is the same baseball, the game is the same game. We're going to just keep trying to do our jobs. At the end of the day, you can't control the results, you can only control your effort level and your focus."

Zobrist is an experienced World Series player and that will help, but only helps so much. Talent usual reigns supreme over the course of a long season. In the postseason though, a few lucky breaks can change things drastically. Zobrist may see similarities between the 2015 Royals and 2016 Cubs, but unless the latter wins a ring, there's really no comparison to be made.