CHICAGO -- When baseball returned and the realities of the shortened 2020 regular season were first being considered, Cubs manager David Ross was asked about the perceived legitimacy of winning the World Series under such different conditions.

"If they're passing out a trophy, I want it," Ross said.

The Cubs embraced that mentality from Day 1 and are back in the 2020 postseason as the National League Central champions. Now, Chicago is aiming to recapture the World Series glory this core group experienced back in 2016.

"It's a big exhale right now," Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. "It's been a very taxing year for everyone. We've had as much fun as we can. We've weathered the storm. ... At the end, we win the division and we're playing playoff baseball at Wrigley Field. And we're very excited about it and we're very appreciative. This is definitely step one to where we want to be."

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Here is a look at how the Cubs got here this season:

How they were built:

Amateur Draft: SS Javier Báez (first round, 2011), INF David Bote (18th round, ‘12), 3B Kris Bryant (first round, ‘13), OF Ian Happ (first round, ‘15), INF Nico Hoerner (first round, ‘18), OF Kyle Schwarber (first round, ‘14), RHP Duane Underwood Jr. (second round, ‘12)

International signings: RHP Adbert Alzolay (2012), C Willson Contreras (‘09), LHP Brailyn Marquez ('15)

Free agents: RHP Jason Adam, RHP Tyler Chatwood, RHP Yu Darvish, OF Jason Heyward, RHP Jeremy Jeffress, RHP Craig Kimbrel, 2B Jason Kipnis, LHP Jon Lester, LHP Kyle Ryan, RHP Ryan Tepera, RHP Dan Winkler

Trades: C Victor Caratini (2014 via Braves), LHP Andrew Chafin (‘20 via D-backs), RHP Kyle Hendricks (‘12 via Rangers), OF Cameron Maybin (‘20 via Tigers), RHP Alec Mills (‘17 via Royals), LHP José Quintana (‘17 via White Sox), 1B Anthony Rizzo (‘12 via Padres), RHP Rowan Wick (‘18 via Padres)

Waivers: INF Ildemaro Vargas, OF Billy Hamilton

Currently on injured list: Chatwood (left forearm), Vargas (right hamstring), Wick (left oblique)

The foundation of the Cubs' core was built via position players in the MLB Draft, while free-agent signings and trades were the primary avenue for building the pitching staff in recent years. That formula powered Chicago’s 2015 breakout season and '16 World Series run, but the club is still trying to capture another title with its star-packed roster.

Key offseason acquisition: With the payroll at a record height for the franchise, the Cubs targeted more cost-effective additions over the past couple of offseasons. Going into 2020, the front office knew it needed to address the bullpen, and that goal led to inking Jeffress to a one-year pact. The veteran righty has enjoyed a strong comeback campaign, helping stabilize what had been a turbulent back end of the bullpen.

Managerial decision: No matter how much Ross was asked, the manager refused to apply the "closer" label to any of his arms. That approach created flexibility for Kimbrel to sort through mechanical issues at the start of the season, while also determining which arms would be the most trustworthy as the year developed.

Jeffress quickly gained Ross' trust as the primary arm for save situations, but the manager has used the righty outside of the ninth, too. Kimbrel worked his way back into the mix, along with Wick (until his recent injury). Ross prefers to weigh the many factors involved (inning, situation, lineup segment, swing characteristics, pitch profile and so on) rather than going with just one closer.

Defining season stretch: The Cubs' lineup put up a zero in the eighth inning against the Brewers on Sept. 12, marking the 17th straight scoreless frame for the lineup. It was the second 17-inning drought within a five-day span for Chicago, which was spinning its wheels offensively and dealing with mounting team-wide frustration.

Then, things changed in a hurry -- and in improbable fashion.

In the ninth inning that night, the Cubs had a four-run outburst against Brewers ace reliever Josh Hader. That included back-to-back homers from Heyward and Vargas, turning a would-be loss into a rousing 4-2 victory. One night later in Milwaukee, Mills spun the 16th no-hitter in Cubs history.

Breakout player: For the bulk of the season, Chicago's core four of Báez, Bryant, Rizzo and Schwarber have labored in the batter's box. Bryant -- Ross' planned leadoff hitter -- also dealt with a series of injury setbacks, including a right oblique flare-up on Monday. Their collective woes at the plate created a problem for the top of the Cubs' lineup.

Enter Happ, whose offensive turnaround can be traced back to the final month of last season. Happ was in the ninth slot on Opening Day, but his steady and powerful production not only won him the everyday job in center field, but the leadoff role. Happ played like an MVP candidate for much of the season, and at the perfect time for the Cubs.

Calling card: When the Cubs rolled to a 13-3 start out of the gates, their run was fueled by strong starting pitching. With Darvish and Hendricks at the top, the team’s tone was set. In addition, while Chicago’s offense can have a feast-or-famine dynamic to it, the thread throughout has been exhausting at-bats for the opposition. The Cubs have ranked near or at the top of MLB in pitches per plate appearance this season. That has led to both high walk and strikeout rates. The issue has been an absence of power to pair with that patience.

Memorable moment: Heyward's go-ahead three-run homer off Hader on Sept. 12 can be circled as a momentum-changing moment for the Cubs. What took place one day later, however, was historic. Mills -- a walk-on at the University of Tennessee at Martin and a 22nd-round Draft pick -- was masterful against the Brewers in one of the more surprising no-hitters in MLB history.