The Chicago Cubs will be in the unique position this offseason of being able to rebuild almost their entire pitching staff.

More News: Chicago Cubs may bring back veteran free agent outfielder after all

All five of their end-of-season starting pitchers will be heading off into free agency (Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson). Relievers Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey, Aaron Civale, and Trent Thornton could be gone. The team also holds a 2027 option on Colin Rea and Jacob Webb.

It has to be acknowledged, though, that it would be a pretty tough task for Cubs president Jed Hoyer and company to replace everyone. So, that means—for better or for worse—some of these free agents might be re-signed.

One of the potential re-signings being debated among Cubs fandom is left-handed starting pitcher Shota Imanaga.

The Japanese import came to the Cubs in 2024 and nearly walked last offseason before signing a one-year $22 million qualifying offer deal for 2026.

Imanaga has been up and down as a Cub and 2026 was a perfect representation of his time in Chicago. At times, he looked like a high-end cerebral starter and at other times he seemed to miss his mark a lot and get touched up for way too many home runs.

Shota’s emotional ‘thank you’ to Cubs fans

More News: Chicago Cubs: Hoyer hints at one free agent he maybe won’t try to re-sign

Whatever the case and whatever the free agent market decides, Imanaga wanted one final message of thanks issued to Cubs fans ahead of an uncertain offseason.

“For that (first) press conference, I remember writing down on a piece of paper what I was gonna say in English. I still have it. I still walk around with it … it’s meant a lot,” Imanaga told reporters via interpreter. “This year when I’ve had bad outings, where it would make sense for the fans to start booing, they didn’t … Even the next day when I’m going out into the bullpen, in the bleachers, everyone stood up and cheered for me. I have so much appreciation for the fans of Chicago and, first and foremost, I need to show my thanks and appreciation for everybody.”

The prevailing thought is that the Cubs will let Imanaga walk. There’s just too much unpredictability with him, especially for the money he’s likely to expect.

Could Imanaga be back?

Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation perfectly summed up the value-for-price situation the Cubs are facing:

“Shota Imanaga, 33, has been much more good than bad for the Cubs over his three seasons in Chicago. He has been durable, enjoyable, and boasts a 3.45 ERA over 492.1 innings (about 15% better than league average by ERA-). For the three years the Cubs had him, they paid under $45 million total. He was easily worth it.

The question going forward, though, is whether there’s mutual interest in continuing the partnership at a price tag that could be difficult to estimate.”

Keeping him in 2026 was a debatable move and, looking back, it probably cost them when it came to their budget for trying to sign guys like Dylan Cease. Locking him in for 2027 and beyond—at a price beyond what an average fourth or fifth MLB starter would command—just doesn’t make sense.

That’s not necessarily a hard “no,” though. The Cubs could do a lot worse than Imanaga—if the price were team-friendly enough. At this point, with so many holes to fill, having one more familiar face back in the rotation wouldn’t necessarily be a negative.

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The Chicago Cubs are facing some big questions this offseason—like how to deal with the impending loss of their entire end-of-season starting rotation, a third of their bullpen, their starting catcher, and both corner outfielders.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Hoyer hints at one free agent he maybe won’t try to re-sign

And they simultaneously have to worry about building something capable of upending the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central Division.

So, it can be forgiven if they just have to make way for some serious cuts in order to facilitate this upcoming soft rebuild.

One of those cuts is thought to be left fielder Ian Happ, who’s been a Cub his entire professional career, from draft day to the disappointing end of this 2026 season. The veteran is eligible for free agency and many are assuming that Chicago will let him walk.

Happ, himself, seems to think that also as he all but said his farewell to the city and to the organization after his last game. He even gave his final respects to the loyal Cubs fans, tossing a ball into the bleachers with $300 attached to it for “beer money” and sporting a heartfelt inscription of thanks.

“All I can say is that I love being a Cub,” Happ told reporters. “I’ve loved my time. I’ve loved the place, the people, Wrigley Field, the fanbase. And it’s been truly special. I don’t think there’s a better place in baseball to play.”

But maybe it’s not going to be “so long” after all.

Happ open to returning at a discount price?

More News: Chicago Cubs president: “We’re leaning on our defense too heavily…we can’t catch homers”

Pat Ragazzo of Cubbies Crib is reporting that Happ would be open to taking a more Cubs-friendly deal if it meant being able to stay in Chicago:

“However, Happ’s time with the Cubs might not be coming to a close after all. A source familiar with Happ’s thinking told FanSided that they could see the outfielder taking a hometown discount in free agency to remain with the Cubs. As the source pointed out, Happ already signed a team-friendly three-year, $61 million extension to stay with the Cubs back in 2023. This could bode well for a chance at a reunion this offseason.”

Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, meanwhile, have opined that the Cubs may leave the door open for such a reunion:

“As polarizing as Happ is among the fanbase, bringing him back on a team-friendly deal isn’t entirely out of the question. He’s an above-average performer at the plate, a four-time Gold Glove winner and a valuable presence in the clubhouse.”

It makes sense

It does make sense. Happ has firmly planted his roots in the Chicago community, forming the Happ Foundation charitable organization just last year, and just being a Chicagoan through and through. And, as noted, he’s already signed one extension three years ago to avoid free agency.

One could also argue that he’s not likely to get much more on the open market at 32 and after essentially finishing the year as a platoon player than what he got with the Cubs these last three seasons.

From the Cubs’ side of things, bringing Happ back would provide some stability and a temporary bridge until at least one of the organization’s top outfield prospects (Josiah Hartshorn, Kane Kepley, Ethan Conrad) is major league-ready.

With the loss of Seiya Suzuki looking more and more likely, the team would be in a really tough spot if they ended up without both of their corner outfielders.

Happ—with his elite defense and frustratingly streaky offense—being brought back is becoming more and more of a possibility.

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Now that the 2026 season is over, the Chicago Cubs have now played 10 seasons since they slayed the goat in 2016. That World Series core was young, and it looked like they would reign supreme for the next 5-10 years. Unfortunately, as we know, things did not play out that way.

The World Series team is long gone, and the latest iteration of the Cubs has been searching for the promised land for the past several years. Whether under Theo Epstein or Jed Hoyer, World Series contention is the goal. It hasn’t been all bad on the North Side, but it’s been disappointing, to say the least.

The Cubs haven’t been bad, but not good enough

Since the start of 2017, the Cubs have made the playoffs five times, won two playoff series, reached the 90-win mark three times, and had eight winning seasons. It averages out to roughly 85 wins a season (not counting the 2020 COVID year) over that span. Tell a Cubs fan that from 1950-2000, they are probably jumping for joy. It’s different when expectations change as drastically as they did after they won it all. These are not your father’s Cubs.

What stands out is how really only two teams (2017, 2025) arguably had a chance at a title. Even that is pushing it. It was more than clear the defending champs in ’17 were running on fumes at the end, and last year’s squad had maybe two trustworthy starting pitchers in the playoffs. Otherwise, two teams’ offenses “broke” at the end (2018, 2026), another two fell inches short of the postseason (2023, 2024), and others were either played a COVID “season” or were bad.

Cumulatively it’s been a step or two above “mid,” as the kids say. They’ve had fun times, great individual performances, notable players, and a few good seasons, but have fallen well short of ultimate glory. Not a laughing stock, nor a perennial bottom-feeder, but disappointing. For one reason or another, a fatal team flaw or two has doomed every season, preventing them from making a real run at a pennant.

Suppose one could say it could be worse. Many Cubs fans remember 80+ loss seasons being the norm. Plenty of other fanbases have had it worse than the Cubs in recent years. Still, the post-2016 era looked so promising, at least in terms of having more bites at the World Series apple. Onward we go.

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After being swept by the San Diego Padres, the Chicago Cubs have seen their 2026 season come to a close. The franchise is now beginning to think about changes to their 2027 roster.

One clear area of improvement necessary is in the Cubs bullpen. Numerous players Chicago invested in over the offseason didn’t pan out as hoped. While their 3.90 bullpen ERA may not look terrible on paper, the Cubs ranked 13th overall, the franchise knows they need vast progress in that regard.

Heading into the offseason, president Jed Hoyer knows fixing the bullpen will be a top priority. The team already took one step, acquiring Rob Zeferjahn – who is under team control through 2030 – at the trade deadline. But Chicago will still be scouring the market for other impactful arms throughout the offseason.

As for Hoyer, the executive isn’t shying away from how poorly 2026 department. When it comes to the bullpen, he is taking full blame.

Jed Hoyer takes full blame for Chicago Cubs bullpen

Phil Maton held a 6.18 ERA over his 31 appearances before suffering a knee injury. Caleb Thielbar held a 4.86 ERA in his 58 games. Even Zeferjahn had a 4.50 ERA in his 20 games with the team. Jacob Webb held a much better looking 3.36 ERA overall. But in eight games in September/October the right-hander had a 7.36.

There were some highlights, but overall, Chicago’s bullpen wasn’t one of their strengths. And for that, Hoyer will take in on the chin, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

“I did a poor job on the bullpen this year. Full stop,” Hoyer said. “The guys we acquired this winter didn’t produce nearly as well as a year ago.”

The Cubs are preparing for their roster to look much different in 2027. But their eyes remain fixated on competing for a World Series title. To do so, Hoyer knows he’ll need to invest more into the bullpen.

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The Chicago Cubs enter the offseason with plenty of uncertainty surrounding what their roster will look like in 2027. LHP Shota Imanaga, OF/DH Seiya Suzuki, OF Ian Happ, RHP Kevin Gausman, LHP David Peterson, and OF Michael Conforto are all set to become free agents the day after the World Series.

The Cubs also have club options on RHP Colin Rea and RHP Jacob Webb, while RHP Clay Holmes holds a player option. LHP Matthew Boyd, C Carson Kelly, RHP Hunter Harvey, and LHP Caleb Thielbar each have mutual options. Add in 12 players eligible for arbitration, along with the uncertainty surrounding baseball’s financial landscape as the sport approaches a new collective bargaining agreement, and there are plenty of questions facing the Cubs heading into the offseason.

Here, we’ll take a look at all 12 Cubs players eligible for arbitration and their projected salaries for next season. Notably, the current CBA expires on December 1, while tender decisions typically must be made by mid-November. That means the Cubs will have to make these decisions before any potential lockout and without knowing what the next CBA will ultimately look like.

All 12 Chicago Cubs projected 2027 arbitration salaries

According to MLB Trade Rumors, which consistently does an excellent job projecting arbitration salaries, here are the 12 Cubs players currently in arbitration and what they could earn next season.

• Justin Steele: $6.8MM
• Edward Cabrera: $4.8MM
• Braxton Garrett $1.6MM
• Javier Assad: $2.3MM (Cubs hold a $3.3MM option)
• Tyler Austin: $1.3MM
• Miguel Amaya: $1.7MM
• Gabriel Arias: $1.3MM
• Ryan Rolison: $1.1MM
• Ethan Roberts: $800K
• Michael Busch: $5.4MM
• Ben Brown: $1.3MM
• Daniel Palenci: $1.2MM

The 12 players combine for a projected total salary of $29.6 million. While the Cubs have a dozen players in arbitration, none are projected to earn a double-digit salary, meaning there is a strong chance the vast majority of them will be tendered contracts for the 2027 season.

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The Chicago Cubs did make a valiant effort at righting their sinking pitching ship at the trade deadline. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer went out and acquired Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Ryan Zeferjahn, and Braxton Garrett at the deadline. They had also traded for David Peterson a bit earlier.

More News: Chicago Cubs president: “We’re leaning on our defense too heavily…we can’t catch homers”

Ultimately, it turned out to be too little, too late. The Cubs were sent packing after losing the first two games of the Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

Actually, the deadline pick-ups contributed little to solving the Cubs’ pitching woes. The new arms were simply hole-fillers to get the team to the end of the season—although Zeferjahn did finish out the year with six straight scoreless innings after a rough start to his Cubs tenure.

Probably the biggest deadline disappointment, though, was Holmes—the sinker-based groundball specialist acquired along with outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the New York Mets for top-tier prospect Jefferson Rojas.

The hopes and realities of trading for Clay Holmes

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The Cubs were counting on the veteran righty to immediately move to the top of the beleaguered starting rotation and possibly be the dominant ace the team needed heading into the playoffs. And he certainly began his Cubs campaign looking just like the rotation stud they needed, posting a 1.55 ERA through his first five outings with Chicago.

Then, the wheels just sort of fell off the cart. He went 0-2 and delivered a horrid 8.24 ERA in his final four starts of the season, just as the Cubs were in the heat of a battle for Wild Card home field advantage. He never got to do anything in the postseason but warm up.

Holmes has a $12 million player’s option waiting on his decision. The prevailing thought is that he’ll reject that option and test the free agent market. Although now, after that horrid end-of-season—and the looming labor crisis and lockout awaiting 2027—there’s also the possibility that he may decide to stay put in hopes of turning things around with the Cubs’ elite infield defense for a run at 2028 free agency.

Hoyer speaks on Holmes disappointment

Hoyer, however, seems a bit soured on Holmes and more than a little puzzled as to why things ended as they did.

“We thought it was a perfect fit,” Hoyer recently told reporters. “He had a nice run in August for a while and he sort of tailed off, and how much of that was because he came back from injury, how much of that was just the length of the season? Obviously, he wasn’t pitching his best baseball towards the end.”

So, would the Cubs have Holmes back? Of course they would. In this current market, $12 million is a bargain for someone like Holmes, late-2026 warts and all. He’s still a tremendous fit for the team and its particular strengths.

But, from Hoyer’s words, there doesn’t seem to be much of a chance that he’ll be taking a stab at bringing the veteran back if he hits the open market.

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The Chicago Cubs have a lot of work to do this offseason. And, obviously, that work will center on pitching.

More News: Chicago Cubs won’t even try to land big fish free agent, per insiders

Cubs pitching was inconsistent at best and flat-out horrid at worst.

They gave up the most home runs in the National League and struggled throughout the season with allowing opposing teams to get quick-shot scores via the long ball. It seemed like the team was almost always fighting back from some deficit caused by the inability to keep balls in the park.

Injuries, of course, were a big factor in the pitching staff’s undoing. But even when healthy, the home run bug bit them. A pair of first inning homers from Fernando Tatis and Manny Machado in game one of the Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres marked a disappointingly appropriate beginning of the end for Chicago’s playoff hopes.

A real opportunity for change

More News: Chicago Cubs need to target these free agent San Diego Padres

The good news is that this offseason presents the unique opportunity for the Cubs to almost completely rebuild their pitching staff. The entire end-of-season starting rotation—Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, David Peterson—may be gone via free agency, as could relievers Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey, Aaron Civale, and Trent Thornton. They also have club options on Colin Rea and Jacob Webb.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer recently talked to media and laid out the obvious plan of attack for this offseason.

“Our position-playing group was the best in baseball,” Hoyer told reporters. “From a pitching standpoint this year, it was sort of a struggle from the get go.

“We’re leaning on our defense too heavily, and the overall quality of the pitching has to improve. The great majority of our focus [this winter] is going to be on pitching acquisition. I think we’re in a good, remarkably healthy position on the position player side. I think that we have to focus our resources and energy on the pitching side predominantly… When I think about our offseason, when I think about seasons to come, that has to be the goal, to get our pitching infrastructure and pitching quality to the level of our position-player group.

“It’s safe to say that the biggest part of our focus going into the offseason is going to be on pitching. Whether that’s 100-to-0, what that ratio is going to be, has not been determined yet. But certainly, the great majority of our focus is going to be on pitching acquisition.”

A focus on swing-and-miss?

And that probably—hopefully—means that Hoyer and the Cubs would be focusing more on power pitchers with the stuff to miss bats.

“I think I said hundreds of times during the course of the year, we can’t catch homers,” Hoyer said.

The big question, though, is whether Hoyer will move on from his well-established aversion to spending big on top shelf pitching. It seems, at this point, that the only answer to the Cubs’ pitching woes would be to bite the bullet and take some big risks on elite arms and not just target bargain buys and reclamation projects, as has been the case recently.

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The Chicago Cubs’ season ended after an ugly two-game stomping at the hands of the San Diego Padres in the opening Wild Card series at Petco Park.

More News: Chicago Cubs need to target these free agent San Diego Padres

While people may wax poetic about the Cubs’ 2026 run, noting how they battled through some unprecedented injury misfortune to get as far as the opening playoff series, the truth of the matter is that things ended in ugly fashion. Eventually, all of the concerns regarding the roster turned out to be, precisely, the things that brought about their downfall.

And 2027 is shaping up to be even uglier than the end of 2026.

Chicago is set to lose their entire end-of-season starting rotation to free agency (Matthew Boyd, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Shota Imanaga, David Peterson).

Not going after Tarik Skubal?

More News: Chicago Cubs rout in San Diego offers sobering reality check

And if MLB insiders Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma are correct, the Cubs aren’t likely to go big in their pursuit of replacements.

Per Mooney and Sharma in The Athletic:

“With some trade chips still on hand and a vast amount of salaries falling off the books — Roster Resource projects Chicago’s major-league payroll has roughly $110 million in commitments — Hoyer’s group will have to pour those resources into the rotation.

Just guessing that the Cubs won’t be the big-market franchise willing to hand Tarik Skubal the biggest pitching contract ever before the current labor deal expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1.”

It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that Jed Hoyer and the Chicago front office won’t even take a stab at signing an elite-tier pitcher after seeing how this season turned out. However, something clearly has to be done when it comes to restocking the team’s rotation.

The 2027 Cubs starting rotation

The possible rotation pieces the Cubs do have returning are iffy and questionable. Justin Steele will come into 2027 after missing two full years due to elbow and flexor issues. Cade Horton may miss the entire season—or at least most of it—after Tommy John surgery. Ben Brown was en route to a breakthrough year as a starter this past season, until he again went down with the same chronic neck issue that has shut him down before. Edward Cabrera was absolutely awful in his first season as a Cub. Javier Assad, meanwhile, has mostly been a reliable presence, but he’s much more of a back-of-rotation starter than a star.

If the Cubs come into the 2027 campaign with a rotation of Steele, Brown, Cabrera, Assad, and Braxton Garrett, you might as well write off a playoff berth.

So, there’s pretty much no getting around it. Chicago needs to dip into the free agency market to fill out that rotation. The question will be whether they can get over their aversion to spending big on free agent pitching or if they’ll again try to find rehabilitation projects and diamonds in the rough on the cheap while just hoping for the best. We all saw how well that worked out in 2026.

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The Chicago Cubs turned in a miserable collective performance in the Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres and, as a result, were eliminated in two games. Unfortunately, given the pitching woes of this year’s team, the disappointing end to the season wasn’t exactly unexpected.

More News: Chicago Cubs rout in San Diego offers sobering reality check

Cubs president Jed Hoyer, in the two-game postseason look at the Padres, should’ve seen plenty to add to his shopping list this offseason as he stares down the reality of having to practically rebuild an entire pitching staff.

In baseball, the sour-note equivalent of “if you can’t beat them, join them” is “if you can’t beat them, sign away their talent.”

So, with that in mind, here’s a look at some pending free agent Padres talent the Cubs definitely should look at snatching up.

Morejon and King should be primary Cubs targets

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Adrian Morejon came into Game Two of the Wild Card series and blew the Cubs away, delivering the kind of dominant late-inning relief appearance Chicago has rarely gotten from their own bullpen this season.

The Cubs desperately need a reliable and overpowering late-inning presence and they must get over their reluctance to invest in elite-level relief talent. The 27-year-old has posted a 2.58 ERA over his last three seasons with 248 strikeouts in 223.1 innings. He’s stuck behind Mason Miller in San Diego, but would be a closer almost anywhere else in baseball and should be chomping at the bit to get that opportunity. Estimates place his going price at about $60 million over four years. If the Cubs are serious about postseason life, they’ll spend the money

The Cubs were linked to Michael King this past offseason, but couldn’t/wouldn’t pull the trigger on signing him. Instead, King re-signed with the Padres for a three-year, $25 million deal that gives him opt-out options after this 2026 season and the next. King is expected to opt-out and explore a longer deal for more money and the Cubs should absolutely be looking to scoop him up—especially after seeing the way he absolutely nullified their offense in a dominant Game One start in the Wild Card series.

The rest of the shopping list

Starting pitcher Robbie Ray came to the Padres at the trade deadline from the San Francisco Giants, where he was having a career year. He didn’t pitch all that well for the Padres down the stretch, but his worth as a left-handed starting pitcher with a long history of success will see him get lots of attention when he hits the free agent market this offseason. He’s 35, so that may damper some of the enthusiasm in pursuing him, but the Cubs will need established performers heading into a 2027 season where, possibly, their entire end-of-season starting rotation (Boyd, Imanaga, Gausman, Holmes, Peterson) could be gone via free agency.

Casey Mize was a wild disappointment for the Padres after being acquired from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline. But up until his injury-hampered run in San Diego, the 29-year-old right-hander was a lights-out rotation piece, posting a 2.70 ERA through 16 starts for the Tigers. Again, the Cubs desperately need rotation help and some puzzle pieces with a proven history of success.

If the Cubs are looking for the bullpen success they failed to achieve with the signings of Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, and Hunter Harvey last offseason, they would do well to pursue right-handed setup man Jason Adam. The right-hander has been the picture of consistent bullpen excellence since his 2020-2021 run with the Cubs, delivering ERAs under 3.00—and sometimes under 2.00—in the five seasons after that. An Adam-Morejon one-two late-inning punch would be a significant improvement over the current Jacob Webb-Daniel Palencia late-inning combo.

It should be obvious at this point that all of the Cubs’ free agent targets must be pitching. They will also, of course, have to figure out a way to fill at least one of their corner outfield spots and catcher. But the priority this offseason has to be pitching or 2027 will look uglier than the end of 2026.

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Entering the playoffs, the Chicago Cubs were expected to be led by their offense. But those plans didn’t come to fruition as they were outscored 12-1 by the San Diego Padres, getting swept out of the Wild Card Series.

One of Chicago’s biggest culprits was Pete-Crow Armstrong. He is the favorite to win NL MVP after hitting .280 with an MLB-leading 45 home runs, 107 RBIs and 41 stolen bases. However, the version of Crow-Armstrong wasn’t visible in the playoffs.

The outfielder didn’t record a hit through his eight plate appearances over the two games. He did steal a base, but Crow-Armstrong struck out in over half (four) of his at-bats.

Needless to say, it wasn’t the performance the Cubs superstar was hoping for. But Crow-Armstrong isn’t shying away from criticism.

Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong gets brutally honest

Seeing the Cubs’ season end the way it did, Crow-Armstrong wasn’t in the best of mood after the game. Especially with how had played. The likely MVP made it clear he wasn’t happy with his 2026 playoff performance, via the Marquee Sports Network, h/t Cubs Zone.

“You can look at the scoreboard, you can look at the stat sheet, wherever you get your stats from and it is clear to see that I didn’t contribute,” Crow-Armstrong said.

Pete Crow-Armstrong reflects after losing in NL Wild Card:

“You can look at the scoreboard, you can look at the stat sheet, wherever you get your stats from and it is clear to see that I didn’t contribute.” pic.twitter.com/0KcwGdvvXH

— Cubs Zone (@CubsZone) October 1, 2026

Crow-Armstrong’s regular season won’t be forgotten anytime soon. He’ll still be heralded as one of the best hitters in baseball entering the 2027 campaign. Still, the outfielder’s ultimate goal is helping the Cubs lift a World Series title. With his offensive spark running out, Crow-Armstrong wasn’t able to contribute to that goal against the Padres.

He’ll now have the entire offseason to think about how Chicago’s season ended. Furthermore, he now has firsthand experience understanding when things don’t go right in the most crucial moments.

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After a wild 162 game season that saw its ups and downs for the Chicago Cubs, the team had a quick exit in the MLB playoffs. They were eliminated in two games, losing both to the San Diego Padres.

Just as fast as the playoffs began, they were over for Craig Counsell’s team. Now, they enter an offseason with a lot of questions and that’s not even mentioning a likely lockout.

Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins have some decisions to make with the roster. It’s clear that the bullpen needs help in terms of additions and now they will have to look at some bats to add to the lineup, pending some decisions. One of those decisions is right fielder Seiya Suzuki.

Chicago Cubs don’t want a bidding war for Seiya Suzuki

It’s likely the Cubs are going to have to find at least one new corner outfielder for next offseason and potentially two. Suzuki is set to be a free agent this season after spending the past five seasons with the Cubs. The 32-year-old came over from Japan and has been a staple in right field since.

But the latest on Suzuki isn’t good news for those who want him back.

Patrick Mooney wrote in The Athletic on the Cubs’ offseason following the Game 2 loss. In the column, he mentions how the Cubs don’t want to get into a bidding war nor win one.

Suzuki, who was 19th in the league in fWAR, put up some of the best overall numbers of his career, which will probably make him a hot commodity. Considering their pitching deficit, it’s unlikely that the Cubs will get into a bidding war for Suzuki’s services, let alone win one.

Happ is more than likely to return of the two simply because he could take a team-friendly deal. He’s expressed how much he loves Chicago and was emotional in the home finale.

Suzuki loves Chicago as well but he’s in line for a nice pay day. There are several teams who could use a right fielder in free agency and he should get a nice pay day.

The right fielder put together the best stretch of his career so far hitting 32 home runs and driving in 103 runs in 2025. He followed that up this season hitting .270 with 26 home runs and 86 RBI’s. It’s certainly going to be an interesting offseason in more than one way for the Cubs.

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It’s fair to say Cubs fans had mixed feelings heading into this year’s postseason. The team that struggled down the stretch, lost the top Wild Card spot, and was running into a buzzsaw had an uphill battle. After 89 wins, the Chicago Cubs went out with a sad whimper. Even for fans who didn’t expect much, the taste was bitter after seeing a non-competitive two-game sweep to the Padres.

Nothing went right. The offense did nothing. The pitching was poor. Execution on small things like challenges was poor. Even Craig Counsell’s managing was questionable at times. The tone was set with Pete Crow-Armstrong, the likely NL MVP, striking out to start Game 1, followed by Matthew Boyd giving up a first-pitch homer to Fernando Tatis Jr. It was all downhill from there.

Now fans reflect on a season that was at times incredibly fun and insanely frustrating, while not knowing when their beloved team will play again, with a potential lockout looming.

Reflecting on the 2026 Chicago Cubs

One would think having a 40-40 player, the most runs scored in baseball, and the best defense would make a team a top postseason threat. Unfortunately, the pitching staff was a major Achilles ‘ heel. Between numerous injuries and major home run troubles, it was a grind all year. Not that the offense, which “broke” at the end, did any favors in the playoffs.

To recognize the good, there was plenty of fun at the ballpark. Not only Crow-Armstrong’s electric 40-40 season (which also included a cycle), but also the 13 walkoff wins, Alex Bregman’s second half, and a 20-3 stretch, to name a few. The highs were 2016-like at times.

It wasn’t a bad season, and it wasn’t a bad team. But it was not good enough, and that is grounds to call it a failure. What is frustrating is that President Jed Hoyer was aggressive. He paid Bregman, extended both Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner, acquired an arm with big stuff in Edward Cabrera, and was very busy at the deadline. One can say the effort was there, but in the end, they still fell well short of a World Series and of the Brewers in the standings. Again.

Saying goodbye to 2026 and looking ahead

It’s time to say goodbye to the 2026 Cubs. Personally, I thank them for the fun they brought, but I’m also disappointed they didn’t bring home hardware. Honestly, going all the way felt like a long shot given their flaws. It just would have been nice to have a moment or two of hope in the playoffs.

The path ahead is murky. Who knows what this potential lockout will bring and for how long. Regardless, the team has holes, and fixing them will be a challenge. They can sign some free agents, and there will be some available pitchers, but other needed areas are not as strong. The farm system isn’t completely bare, but it’s low in the rankings. This organization needs to produce more effective power arms and maintain health. Hopefully another bat or two as well, like Josiah Hartshorn.

It’s going to be a long path to the 2027 season (whenever that starts). Until then, we wait for next year.

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The Chicago Cubs start to the 2026 post season is not off to a good start. In Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series they were shut out by the San Diego Padres in a crushing 8-0 defeat. San Diego came out swinging in this contest, with two of their first three batters hitting home runs off Matthew Boyd, with the southpaw ultimately giving up three long balls overall.

Furthermore, the loss stings beyond the final score, as the Cubs now face elimination and must win the next two games in a row to advance to the NLDS. With their season hanging in the balance, here are three reasons why the Game 1 defeat hurts even more.

Three reasons the Chicago Cubs Game 1 loss in the National League Wild Card Series to the San Diego Padres string even more

1) Second consecutive post season being shut out by the Padres

In 2025, the Cubs dropped Game 2 of the NLWC against the Padres, 3-0, forcing a decisive Game 3. Being shut out by the same team in consecutive postseasons is tough enough, but suffering a blowout in Game 1 this time around makes the situation even more painful.

2) Padres preserved their elite bullpen arms

Building off the previous point, San Diego needed just three pitchers to get through Game 1. Michael King went seven innings, Yuki Matsui followed with a scoreless eighth, and Joe Musgrove closed things out in his return to an MLB mound after two years away. That’s significant for the Cubs, as the Padres’ elite bullpen remains fresh heading into Game 2, and potentially for Game 3 if needed.

3) Cubs offense sputtered

The Cubs entered the postseason as MLB’s highest-scoring offense in 2026, making their Game 1 performance even more difficult to swallow. During the regular season, Chicago averaged nine runs and hit more than three home runs per game across six matchups against the Padres, yet the lineup was completely shut down in the opener. The Cubs failed to score a run, did not record an extra-base hit, or generate much of any offensive momentum, going just 3-for-31, with two hits coming off Musgrove, and striking out 11 times in total.

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The Chicago Cubs didn’t start their playoff run as hoped, falling in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series to the San Diego Padres, 8-0. Now, the franchise is on the brink of postseason elimination.

In Game 2, the Cubs will be starting Kevin Gausman on the mound, manager Craig Counsell confirmed, via Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic. Chicago is hopeful his veteran presence will give the franchise at least one more game.

Gausman is working his way back from a shoulder injury after a diving play in his final regular season start. But he was able to throw a successful bullpen session and is now ready to return to the bump. After being acquired at the trade deadline, Gausman has now found himself in a pressure packed environment for his new team.

With elimination on the line, it’ll be all hands on deck for Chicago. Nearly every pitcher will be available in Game 2. But at least to start things off, the Cubs are turning to Gausman.

Chicago Cubs relying on Kevin Gausman

Since his arrival to the Cubs, Gausman has posted a 4.83 ERA and a 57/11 K/BB ratio through nine starts. Over his 32 appearances total between the Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays in 2026, the right-hander registered a 4.51 ERA and a 184/47 K/BB ratio.

Gausman has had some blow up games with Chicago, allowing five or more runs in three starts. However, he hasn’t allowed more than two over his last two outings. With a 13/1 K/BB ratio in that span, the Cubs will ride that momentum into the playoffs.

The right-hander also has ample experience pitching in the postseason with 14 games, including eight starts on his resume. Gausman holds a 3.83 ERA and a 56/22 K/BB ratio in that time, pitching as recently as last year’s World Series.

It will take a team-wide effort by the Cubs to hold off elimination. But it’ll all start with Gausman on the mound.

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The Chicago Cubs didn’t exactly come into this Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres with the greatest of chances to advance to the next round.

More News: Chicago Cubs: PCA ranked most important asset in 2026 playoff baseball

They were looking at three straight games on the road at Petco Park against a red-hot Padres team that has been pretty unbeatable at home. Also, momentum was clearly not on their side as they limped into this Game One a sub-.500 team since mid-August and having squandered a 6.5 game lead at the top of the National League Wild Card standings.

The Cubs were also staring down the reality that their pitching, as a whole, was nowhere near strong enough or consistent enough to be anything but a liability in postseason play.

Yeah, many fans and pundits convinced themselves that Chicago’s elite defense and top-of-the-bigs offense could carry this team through the playoffs and deep into a championship run. But every real baseball person knows that playoff baseball is pretty much all about pitching and momentum.

In short, the Cubs were cooked before they even started warm-ups in San Diego.

A brutal reality check

More News: Chicago Cubs facing big problems in Padres series, per analyst

Tuesday’s 8-0 loss in the opening of the three-game Wild Card series was the validation of all the doubters’ and critics’ warnings. An elite Michael King start for the Padres nullified the Cubs offense. A shaky Matthew Boyd start for the Cubs, meanwhile, gave up the early lead that allowed King to coast the rest of the way. By the time the Padres bullpen came into play, the game was already lost.

Boyd allowing three home runs in four innings triple-underlined the team’s greatest pitching failure this season—the lack of arms with distinct blow-them-away, swing-and-miss stuff. It also spotlighted the greatest failing of this Cubs front office—the inability and/or unwillingness to spend big on pitching.

All of this was not exactly a revelation brought to light after this game.

Per Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic:

“For Chicago to have any hope of getting through the postseason, it was going to have to piece its pitching together. As dominant as this team had been this season on defense and at the plate, its pitching was a glaring weakness. By fWAR, only the Washington Nationals and Kansas City Royals were worse than the Cubs’ pitching this season.

…The hope now has to be that the pitching can hold things down long enough for the Cubs bats to wake up and carry the team. That was always how it had to be. Otherwise, a quick exit and a long offseason await.”

Lessons learned for next year?

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer did a good job of pursuing patches for the beleaguered pitching staff at the trade deadline—acquiring Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Ryan Zeferjahn, and Braxton Garret. But, as things are turning out, it may have been too little, too late to salvage a season that was often showing signs of being a special one. It’s also worth noting that King was a free agent this past offseason, up for grabs to the highest bidder—as were Dylan Cease and several other starting pitchers—yet the Cubs passed.

Chicago is facing elimination Wednesday night. But even if they stay alive with a gritty victory, what about the next game? What about the series after that? This team will never meet a postseason challenge where pitching won’t be the albatross around its neck.

Next season, Hoyer and staff have the unique opportunity to almost completely rebuild their pitching staff. Several pitchers will be leaving via free agency and lots of money will be coming off the books. With no real help coming from a depleted minor league system, the Cubs have no choice but to spend in pursuit of new arms.

Time will tell if the Cubs learn from the mistakes dragging this current team to early elimination.

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The Chicago Cubs are about to begin their three-game, all-on-the-road Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres Tuesday evening at Petco Park. Needless to say, it’s going to be an uphill climb to get past the red-hot Padres without even a single game back at Wrigley.

More News: Chicago Cubs facing big problems in Padres series, per analyst

But the team will not be a pushover. As a matter of fact, experts and analysts seem divided on who will take the series.

The Cubs definitely have their weaknesses and question marks—notably a bullpen that has looked horrid at times and a starting rotation that’s been inconsistent throughout the season.

The team’s strengths, however, can sometimes be overwhelming.

Chicago has the top-rated offense in all of baseball and, when hot, the lineup can pile up runs. The team, also, by the way, has the best defense in baseball as well—a defense so good that it’s almost historical in its excellence.

PCA represents the Cubs’ strengths

More News: Chicago Cubs still deciding on Alex Bregman’s Wild Card place

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is the primary asset in both of the Cubs’ major strengths. As such, his ability to execute and thrive in the playoffs is absolutely essential to the team’s postseason fortunes.

As a matter of fact, one writer/analyst has declared “PCA” to be “the most important player in the MLB postseason,” noting that it’s not even close.

Oliver Fox of Fansided placed Crow-Armstrong No. 1 on his list of the Top 15 most important playoff figures heading into the postseason, well ahead of Shohei Ohtani at No. 2 and Aaron Judge at No. 3.

Per Fox:

“If you had suggested before this season that someone not named Shohei Ohtani would top the list of the most important players in the MLB playoffs as the Los Angeles Dodgers go for a three-peat, I would have called you crazy. I also would have called you crazy if you suggested the Pete Crow-Armstrong would throw down 10.7 WAR, but here we are.

PCA is so overwhelmingly the most important player in the playoffs — he has carried the Chicago Cubs to the postseason, joined the 40-40 club and is one of the greatest fielders in the history of baseball. If the Cubs accomplish anything this postseason, and they can, it will be on the shoulders, back and quadriceps of PCA.”

Another accolade for PCA

Going hand in hand with this bold declaration is the latest accolade heaped on the slender shoulders of the 24-year-old star. According to MLB Stats, Crow-Armstrong finished the 2026 season with a Fielding Run Value (FRV) of plus-27—the best-rated defensive season registered since Statcast started tracking FRV in 2015.

Already headed for a much-deserved MVP award, Crow-Armstrong is looking to cap off a career year with a playoff performance that helps the Cubs overcome odds and make a strong championship run.

The Cubs will take on the Padres at Petco Park in San Diego—the first of the three-game Wild Card series—on Tuesday at 9:00 pm CT, broadcast on Peacock and NBCSN.

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The Chicago Cubs are not exactly heading into Tuesday night’s Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres in a great position.

More News: Chicago Cubs still deciding on Alex Bregman’s Wild Card place

Not only did they squander a 6.5 game lead (and home field advantage) atop the NL Wild Card standings for the opening playoff series, but they also played inconsistent ball over the final month of the season—posting a .500 record in the month of September.

So, now they must face a red-hot Padres team that posted an 18-6 record in the last month of the regular season—and they must face them in three straight games at Petco park, where they’ve gone 51-30 this year.

Aside from the momentum issues, the Cubs must also overcome the doubts and question marks swirling around their pitching staff as a unit. The bullpen has been wildly unpredictable—looking inconsistent at best and, at worst, on the verge of total collapse. The starting rotation, meanwhile, has also been spotty, with two of the team’s key starters—Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes—struggling late in the regular season.

The Cubs’ top-rated offense and defense will make them a potentially formidable opponent for any team, but postseason success seems to lean heavily on pitching and momentum. That certainly doesn’t bode well for Chicago

“I can’t see the Cubs surviving this”

More News: Pete Crow-Armstrong to earn another mind-blowing accolade

Veteran MLB analyst Ken Rosenthal, speaking on the Foul Territory podcast, talked up the difficulties facing the North Siders as they get ready for the Wild Card series, offering a bleak outlook.

“In their last 32 home games, the Padres…they were 26 and 6. That’s pretty good,” Rosenthal said. “So that is going to be a problem for the Cubs. I don’t see the Cubs surviving this. I see the Padres winning it, but we’ll just have to see how this all goes down. It’s gonna be a fascinating series because the Cubs have been a tremendous team all year. One of the best offenses in the league, one of the best defenses in the league. The Padres don’t play defense quite as well.”

“Tatis got hot. Jackson Merrill got hot,” Rosenthal continued. “Manny Machado, you could say it’s his worst season, still hit 30 home runs, still did some really big things down the stretch. So the Padres are in that place where they are a momentum team.”

But Rosenthal’s take is just one of many for a series that many feel will be closely contested.

Cubs over Padres?

David Adler of MLB.com, for example, sees the Cubs getting by the Padres in three games:

“Maybe the Padres will make us eat our words, especially at home, where they’re 51-30 this season. But Crow-Armstrong is at the peak of his powers and we think the Cubs are going to rally around their soon-to-be MVP. Their pitching might be questionable, but they’re an offensive powerhouse and their defense is the best in the Majors.”

In assessing head-to-head matchups, Adler gives Chicago the edge at second base, shortstop, third base, catcher, left field, center field, and designated hitter while San Diego gets the nod at right field, first base, the bullpen, and starting rotation.

The Cubs-Padres Wild Card battle begins Tuesday evening at 9:00 pm CT and will be broadcast on Peacock and NBCSN.

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The Chicago Cubs have accomplished their initial mission of making the playoffs, earning the No. 5 seed. Now, the franchise is looking to go on an unforgettable run.

Their first order of business will be taking on the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card Series. Chicago held a 5-1 advantage over San Diego in their season series. But the Padres earned the No. 4 seed with their 91-71 record; two games better than the Cubs.

It’ll be an entire different ballgame come postseason. But Chicago is entering battle with the same pros and cons. Their offense led the league with 850 runs scored and will continue to be their driving force. On the flip side though, Chicago’s team 4.12 ERA ranked 14th overall. Their pitching staff will continue to be questioned unless they take a step forward as a unit.

The Cubs have now picked their Game 1 starter. Chicago will hope for an inspired outing that permeates throughout the entire staff.

Chicago Cubs’ Matthew Boyd draws Game 1 start

Manager Craig Counsell confirmed that Matthew Boyd will be on the bump in Game 1, via John Fanta of NBC Sports. His final start of the regular season saw the left-hander pitch seven innings of one-run baseball in a win against the Miami Marlins.

NEWS: Craig Counsell announces Matthew Boyd will start Game 1 for the Cubs against the Padres. pic.twitter.com/VHE1SXDMFc

— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) September 28, 2026

Kevin Gausman could’ve been a Game 1 option, as Boyd is operating under four-days rest. But the right-hander is working his way back from a shoulder injury. He did throw a successful bullpen session on Sunday, putting Gausman on track to start Game 2. Alongside the righty, names like Clay Holmes, David Peterson and Shota Imanaga will be asked to step up.

But to begin their series against the Padres, the Cubs are putting their eggs in Boyd’s basket. Over his 22 starts in 2026, the former All-Star holds a 3.91 ERA and a 96/39 K/BB ratio. Counsell is at least confident Boyd can set the tone.

The Cubs are entering the playoffs with high expectations. While Game 1 won’t determine everything, a win would at least show how serious the Cubs are about competing for the World Series crown.

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Tomorrow afternoon, the Chicago Cubs will travel to San Diego as they begin their postseason. A three-game series will decide whether or not the Cubs move on to the Divisional Round or get ready for the winter.

The Cubs are led by likely MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong, who’s coming off one of the most historic seasons in recent memory. After hitting 45 home runs and stealing 41 bases, Crow-Armstrong now joins the exclusive 40-40 list. The chances that he earns a unanimous MVP are very high.

Aside from Pete, the Cubs are also led by outfielder Seiya Suzuki. He also had a great season, hitting 26 home runs of his own while driving in 86 runs. The main storyline around Suzuki is his contract, as it expires at the end of the 2026 season. He’ll become a free agent and is set to have a line of potential suitors waiting to sign him.

One of those suitors will be the Toronto Blue Jays, that is, according to Mitch Bannon. He covers the Jays with The Athletic and wrote a story about the Jays’ offseason today.

“This offseason, said a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss offseason plans, the Jays are expected to pursue Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki. His 26 homers would’ve ranked second on the Jays this year and his .841 OPS would’ve led all qualified Jays by nearly 80 points.”

Suzuki would be a huge addition for Toronto. The Jays have never been shy of spending money in the past, and they’ll likely be looking to spend even more this offseason. Especially after a disappointing season.

The Chicago Cubs will lose Seiya Suzuki if they lowball him in free agency

Seiya Suzuki has been a consistent member of the Chicago Cubs ever since he signed his 5-year, 85-million dollar deal with the organization back in 2022. He’s set to make much more this winter, regardless of where he ends up.

As contracts continue to trend up, he’s projected to make somewhere around 24-26 million annually. With him being 32 years old, that number could change, depending on how the Cubs do in the postseason.

Seiya Suzuki ties the game with a blast pic.twitter.com/48c9MzfNad

— MLB (@MLB) September 24, 2026

Another big factor in all of this is the potential MLB lockout. If that takes place, it’ll be interesting to see how aging players like Suzuki fare in free agency, with so much uncertainty ahead.

When the Cubs begin their postseason journey tomorrow, watch out for Suzuki. He’s got a lot to play for, and hasn’t had many postseason chances thus far in his young MLB tenure. He’s hit 3 home runs, 5 RBIs, and 4 runs scored in 8 career playoff games.

The chances for him to earn a good payday are certainly there.

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Back on September 20, when Alex Bregman took a fluke foul ball to the face while in the on-deck circle, it seemed almost perfectly normal for the kind of injury-filled, misfortune-heavy season the Chicago Cubs were having.

More News: Chicago Cubs: The latest on Kevin Gausman and the Wild Card rotation

The three-time All-Star third baseman, red-hot in the closing month of his first of five years as a Cub, suffered multiple facial fractures and an ugly black eye in the accident. At one point, there was real concern regarding whether the veteran would be able to make it back for the postseason.

Bregman, however, acted exactly like Bregman. He was back after five-days, looking like he’d been in an ugly bar fight, but otherwise ready to go. In Sunday’s last game of the season against the Boston Red Sox, he made up for his lost time with a 4-for-4 day which included two home runs and all four of the Cubs’ RBIs.

Back at third base for the playoffs?

More News: Pete Crow-Armstrong to earn another mind-blowing accolade

The question, though, is whether he can resume his glove duties at third base. In his two games back from the injury, he’s been the team’s designated hitter.

“I think we have to make a decision there, for sure,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters. “We’ll just kind of see how he feels every day. I think he’s improving every day, but he’s got multiple face fractures and it’s been six days. We’ll just see how he feels. One thing I’m thinking about is the risk of more exposure. I think his at-bats are the most important thing that we can get. Is that exposure worth it? Does it make us that much better at the risk of the at-bats? That’s what we have to consider. Then just the player’s health and well-being, too.”

Bregman is a former Gold Glove winner and has played an almost impeccable third base for Chicago this season. But the reality is, as Counsell touched upon, having him at the hot corner fielding balls, is a big risk. Right now, the Cubs need his bat more than his glove and any sort of misplay or errant groundball could knock him out of the lineup for the rest of the postseason.

Bregman wants the smoke

The 11-year major-leaguer, of course, wants to get back on the field. He says that he’s been taking groundballs for a few days already and feels 100% up to the task. But, ultimately, he’ll defer to the judgment of Counsell and the coaching staff.

“I’ll be available for whatever he needs,” Bregman said on Sunday. “If he wants me to play wherever, I’m available. I want to play third, but I’ll do whatever it takes.”

If Bregman remains in the DH spot, sophomore Matt Shaw and rookie Pedro Ramirez—both very capable defenders—will play third base.

The Cubs begin their three-game/three-road game Wild Card series this Tuesday against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. They won’t see a home game until/unless they get past the surging Wild Card top seed.

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The Chicago Cubs were aggressive at the trade deadline this year, making moves to address starting rotation issues in anticipation of a playoff run. They added veteran starters Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes—along with Braxton Garrett and reliever Ryan Zeferjahn—to beef up a postseason-bound team.

More News: Pete Crow-Armstrong to earn another mind-blowing accolade

The trade for Gausman, specifically, was said to be done with the playoffs in mind. The veteran right-hander, who came over from the Toronto Blue Jays for two mid-level minor league prospects, has the reputation of being a bulldog in postseason play, posting a 2.93 ERA through 30.2 playoff and World Series innings last year.

Pretty much as soon as the Cubs got Gausman, there was speculation that he’d be their Game One starter for the first playoff series. The scheduling of his starts was even consistent with a probable start in the opening game of the Wild Card series.

Those thoughts kind of came apart last Wednesday, in his last start, when he injured his non-throwing shoulder in a diving tag attempt at third base.

Will Gausman be ready?

More News: Chicago Cubs get brutal playoff task after flubbing end-of-season push

Now, the question is not where Gausman will pitch in the upcoming series, but if he’ll pitch at all.

“I don’t know,” Gausman said Sunday, when asked about his readiness for the Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. “That’s a tough [question to answer].”

“I’m going to go out and give everything I’ve got,” Gausman added. “But if I feel like I can’t give this team a chance to win, or pitch the way I know I can, then I need to be smart and think about these guys and not myself.

“The goal is to get to the World Series, in any shape or form. I’m ready for whatever.”

The 14-year major-leaguer pitched a bullpen session on Sunday and any decision on the upcoming Padres three-game series will depend on how he feels Monday. Although the injury is in his non-throwing shoulder, the fear is that his pitch mechanics will be off if he comes back not at 100%.

The Cubs’ Wild Card rotation

In the meantime, the Cubs will have a lot of questions when it comes to who to start in the first playoff round—precisely the same problem they chose to address at the trade deadline.

Lefty Matthew Boyd, right now, seems the likely choice for Game One starter. Clay Holmes—who started his Cubs run in dominant fashion, but has since struggled—would be a good bet to start Game Two. Then, Shota Imanaga, who pitched just one inning in Sunday’s last game of the season, looks to be lined up as the Game Three starter, if necessary.

Beyond that, David Peterson, Colin Rea, Javier Assad, and Aaron Civale are all multiple-inning relief options who could also start if necessary.

Then, of course, there’s Gausman, who wants to pitch, but who will also defer to a fresher, healthier pitcher if need be.

“The good thing is,” Gausman told reporters on Sunday, “I feel confident with any one of these guys starting Game 1 or Game 2, or any game. It’s a good problem to have.”

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The Chicago Cubs are playing their last game of the 2026 regular season on Sunday and find themselves heading into a tougher than tough postseason task as the No. 2 National League Wild Card seed.

More News: Chicago Cubs get brutal playoff task after flubbing end-of-season push

But despite the ups and downs of an up-and-down year, this season may ultimately be remembered as the season of Pete Crow-Armstrong.

The 24-year-old Cubs center fielder is, arguably, finishing up the single greatest season in Chicago Cubs history. And if it’s not THE greatest season, it’s definitely among the very top.

Greatest Cubs season ever?

More News: Chicago Cubs playoff reserve squad spotlighted amid postseason concerns

On the year, “PCA” is slashing .278/.372/.570 with 45 home runs and 107 RBIs. His 41 stolen bases make him just the seventh player in baseball history to hit 40+ home runs and steal 40+ bases in a single season. Aside from setting a multitude of Cubs records, he also holds the distinction of being the first center fielder in all of baseball to register 40+ home runs, 30+ stolen bases, and 30+ doubles in a year.

And he’s doing all this brilliant bat work while playing elite defense in center, topping FanGraphs’ Fielding Run Value and Outs Above Average rankings.

Coming into the last game of the regular season, Crow-Armstrong has a WAR of 10.7—something which places him well above anyone else in baseball when it comes to that stat. As such, that would appear to make him a shoo-in for the MVP award.

Expected to be a clear-cut selection, PCA’s honor could be the first time, ever, that a Cub wins that award via unanimous vote.

First unanimous Cubs MVP?

Jake Misener of Cubbies Crib recently brought up this likelihood and also put it into Cubs history perspective:

“In its 150-year history, the Cubs organization has had 10 (soon to be 11) players win MVP. Frank Schulte, Rogers Hornsby, Gabby Hartnett, Phil Cavarretta, Hank Sauer, Ernie Banks (x2), Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Sammy Sosa and Kris Bryant. Each of their respective MVP seasons were special, but none of them were selected unanimously…

Crow-Armstrong has been so much better than the field that it’s almost laughable. The next-closest player in terms of fWAR? Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals – and he hasn’t even cracked 7.0 fWAR on the season (6.8 fWAR). Fangraphs has Ohtani at 6.8 fWAR, but that’s combining his batting and pitching performance. So, even doing that, there’s still a 4.0-win gap between him and PCA.”

Although always considered a top-tier talent, PCA’s climb into elite-level production is credited to a sudden development of patience at the plate and a newfound discerning eye. No longer a free-swinging whirlwind hacking at everything, he started taking more pitches. accepting more walks.

Ultimately, he also started getting more good pitches to hit because of his unwillingness to chase. The results from his sudden shift in mindset and execution have been on full display this season.

Whatever the case, Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs are hoping that this MVP season extends into the playoffs where the team will be facing an uphill climb in their pursuit of a championship.

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The Chicago Cubs have flown out to St. Petersburg, Florida for what—as things have turned out—is a meaningless final game of the season against the Boston Red Sox.

More News: Chicago Cubs playoff reserve squad spotlighted amid postseason concerns

On Saturday, the San Diego Padres clinched home field advantage in the National League Wild Card series with a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Philadelphia Phillies, meanwhile, are still vying for the third Wild Card seed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, with their fate to be determined this coming last game of the regular season.

The Padres, by taking the top Wild Card spot, will have home field advantage over the Cubs throughout the three-game series (starting Tuesday evening at 9 pm CT). And if the Cubs do make it past the red-hot Padres, they’ll have to play three of five possible games in the next round in Milwaukee against the Brewers.

To say the least, this does not bode well for Chicago’s chances in the postseason. As a matter of fact, many are writing off the Cubs—who will, on top of everything else, have to fly cross-country to get to their series in San Diego—entirely.

A disappointing end

More News: Chicago Cubs’ biggest strength has become their biggest concern

This is, without question, a disappointing way to end a season that began with expectations of winning the NL Central Division and even with some World Series chatter floating about. But, ultimately, the situation in which they find themselves is of their own doing, with everyone from the players to the coaching and front office bearing responsibility. In mid-August, they had a 6.5 game lead atop the Wild Card standings, but played sub-.500 ball the rest of the way to facilitate the loss of that important position.

Even heading into the final two series of the season, the Cubs essentially had their fate in their own hands, but responded with a 1-4 run.

Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation recently laid out the realities of the North Siders’ 2026:

“Not only did the Cubs fail to achieve their goal of winning the NL Central this year, but they also won fewer games than last season, entering the playoffs as a lower seed with no home-field advantage in Round 1. We can talk about all the injuries (and there were a LOT), but they came up short this year. And that stinks.

And now their path to the World Series is extremely challenging…

Moreover, it isn’t usually easy when the Cubs travel west under normal circumstances, but their recent travel schedule has been nuts: they just went from Chicago to Boston to Tampa Bay for Sunday’s meaningless regular-season finale against the Red Sox. And now they’ll have to fly all the way back across the country to San Diego for this series. Brutal.”

What’s ahead

The slightest sliver of optimism heading into Tuesday is that the Cubs hold a 5-1 edge over the Padres in head-to-head play this season, with a 2-1 record at Petco Park. They also have some potentially explosive lineup assets who could carry the team on their shoulders with a big series.

And that’s about it.

The Padres are 17-6 this September, the Cubs are 10-13. They also have a .625 winning percentage at home this season.

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The Chicago Cubs have been riding a roller coaster season full of highs, lows, and, sometimes, unbelievable bad breaks.

More News: Chicago Cubs’ biggest strength has become their biggest concern

As things stand right now, they hold the No. 2 National League Wild Card spot, 1.5 games behind the San Diego Padres and a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The path to hosting the Wild Card series at Wrigley Field has become narrow at this point. The Cubs would have to win their game on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox and the Padres would have to lose their two remaining games against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s looking increasingly likely that they’ll have to be playing their entire postseason without home field advantage.

The Cubs’ playoff reserves

More News: Chicago Cubs swap out Edward Cabrera as bullpen hits a stride

In the case of this particular team—given their particular weaknesses and potential liabilities—it’s absolutely essential to have a quality reserve squad on hand in case of injury or other possible events.

Jordan Campbell of Cubbies Crib recently revealed the Cubs’ taxi squad that will be accompanying them throughout the playoffs and, even as reserve units, it doesn’t inspire a crazy amount of confidence.

In the crew are left-handed pitchers Jordan Wicks and Braxton Garrett, right-handed pitchers Tyler Ferguson and Gavin Hallowell, outfielders Kevin Alcantara and Justin Dean, infielder James Triantos, and catchers Austin Wynns and Owen Ayers.

This squad will back up a team with some big questions and uncertainties, beyond those regarding home field advantage.

Questions and uncertainties

The Cubs offense—their greatest strength and an MLB-leading asset—has grown ice cold in recent games. They’ve scored only 9 runs through their last 5 games and only managed to post 3 runs in Friday’s impromptu doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox.

This is a big deal for a playoff-bound team that will rely heavily on the strength of their run production.

On the pitching side of things, there’s just a lot of inconsistency as well as some glaring holes.

The bullpen, for example, has been iffy at best and in full-on collapse mode at worst. There are some indications that Daniel Palencia and Ryan Zeferjahn have turned things around for late-inning use. Meanwhile, Colin Rea, Javier Assad, and Aaron Civale have proven themselves as solid multiple-inning options in relief. Still, there very legitimate concerns about the Cubs’ relief corps and their ability to turn things up in the postseason.

The starting rotation has been pleasantly solid over recent games, with David Peterson and Shota Imanaga posting ERAs in the ones over their last few starts. But the playoffs are another thing altogether. Veteran Kevin Gausman is nursing a sore non-throwing shoulder from a diving tag at third in his last start and fellow trade deadline acquisition Clay Holmes is not firing on all cylinders at the moment. All of this—plus issues from the rearranged schedule—make for some serious doubts regarding the playoff starting rotation.

So, all in all, this postseason may be of the “cross your fingers and hope for the best” variety, with special high hopes that the roster regulars avoid injury.

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The Chicago Cubs are not making their way to the playoffs with anything resembling positive momentum.

More News: Chicago Cubs swap out Edward Cabrera as bullpen hits a stride

They just dropped a doubleheader to the Boston Red Sox in the midst of a crucial late-season stretch that will determine home field advantage in the Wild Card series. They are also 1-4 in their last five games, with a cold stretch extending for most of the last 20 games.

It’s especially noteworthy that their offense—statistically, the best in baseball—has been ice cold recently.

They’ve only managed to score 9 runs in their last 5 games and only 3 in the Friday doubleheader in Boston.

Cubs’ offense is crucial

More News: Chicago Cubs: Bregman is back as weather continues to complicate Wild Card picture

That is a serious, serious issue when heading into the postseason as a team needing to rely heavily on their bats due to a pitching staff that has been lacking and overall inconsistent.

When firing on all cylinders, Chicago’s offense is elite-tier, ranked as the top lineup among playoff teams this year in a piece for The Athletic by Stephen J. Nesbitt and Chad Jennings:

“The highest-scoring offense in the sport, the Cubs provide a blend of power, contact and speed that can confound pitching staffs. Pete Crow-Armstrong is putting the finishing touches on his MVP resume — a 40-40 season, 158 wRC+ and 10.6 fWAR. Alex Bregman was worth 5.2 fWAR and Seiya Suzuki 4.3 fWAR. Eleven of the 14 position players on the Cubs roster have a wRC+ above league average. At this rate, you can only hope to contain them.”

Another reality about the Cubs offense, though, is that it has been frustratingly streaky all season. And as things are looking right now, they’re smack dab in the middle of a cold spell.

One can toss that concern into the mix, along with the iffy pitching and the off-putting switching around of the schedule—due to inclement weather in Boston—which saw them play a doubleheader on short notice and requires them to fly out to Florida on Sunday for the final game of the season.

“We never quit,” Part 2?

“Whatever is thrown at you,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters, “it’s one of the fun things about being a resilient group and trying to build that and not getting sidetracked by a streak, injuries, weather, flight delays, whatever it is. Not getting sidetracked by those things and responding to them in real time when they do happen — that’s part of success. Every team in every sport goes on that journey every season.”

The absence of red-hot third baseman Alex Bregman, who suffered facial fractures in a freak accident involving a foul ball, very well could’ve played a role in the team’s offense suddenly growing cold. His return to the lineup in the first game of the double bill on Friday saw him go 0-for-4. He would admit that his swing mechanics were off after 5 full days of not taking any real at bats.

The two-time World Series champion, however, acknowledges that these rough patches are something that real pros have to shrug off and move past. Hot or cold, fortunate or unfortunate, the team has to focus on putting runs on the board in any way possible, especially in a playoff setting.

“This time of year, you gotta turn the page quickly,” Bregman said. “It comes down to execution. There’s gonna be games in the playoffs where we need to win games (where) we score three runs, and there’s gonna be games where we can score a lot of runs and the offense will be rolling.

“We gotta figure out a way to do a little bit better than we’ve done the last few days. It comes down to the next pitch, and that’s the mentality in there.”

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Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong is having an historic year here in 2026, well on his way to winning the NL MVP award. The center fielder is not only one of the best defensive players in the game, but he’s figured it out at the plate as well.

As his MVP season has gone one, the market for his cards has also taken off.

Cards such as basic rookies, autos, inserts, etc have all seen an increase in value as the season begins to wrap up. His market is skyrocketing as prices on sales continue to climb. But now, one of the rarest Crow-Armstrong cards is up for auction at Goldin and it’s already hit a record amount.

Auction house Goldin is bringing Cubs fans an unparalleled opportunity to take home one of the most coveted baseball collectibles from the rising phenom: the 2024 Topps Chrome Update MLB Debut Patch Pete Crow-Armstrong Signed 1/1 Rookie Card.

Graded GEM MT 10 by PSA, with an autograph certified and graded GEM MT 10, this prized piece is the definition of one-of-a-kind. With only one card created for each player, combining a player’s signature with a unique patch from their MLB debut jersey, neither fans nor collectors will ever have another chance to celebrate the star player’s rookie season with a collectible of this status.

Why this Pete Crow-Armstrong card is so special…

This card has a lot of uniqueness to it outside of being a 1/1 for the NL MVP. It not only has the patch, but it’s autographed as well as being graded as a gem mint 10 by PSA.

“The MLB debut patch were introduced by Topps in 2023,” Dave Amerman of Goldin told ChiCitySports. “Players wear the patch on their uniform during their MLB debut, it gets removed, it gets put into a card. There is only one of them. It’s 1/1. Then the card is signed.  It’s the biggest card of the modern rookie players. Typically, there was other cards that would be the big ones like the Bowman Chrome Superfractor. But the debut patch cards are the ones you want. The best of the best.”

With the card being a 1/1 and for a player of PCA’s caliber, this card is HUGE among collectors. Add in the fact that Crow-Armstrong just became the seventh player to achieve a 40/40 season, and the value has shot up even more.

“The timing is excellent, right?,” Amerman said. “He showed flashes of greatness last year in the first half as well. He’s only 24. The Paul Skenes debut card sold for $1.1 million plus and he’s a pitcher.  I know he has a lot of hype, but historically the batters are the guys that are a little more collected. This card has to be the biggest MLB Debut patch card produced and ever to hit the auction block yet.”

Goldin’s standalone auction is open through Tuesday, September 29, with extended bidding beginning at 10 PM ET. Current bids already exceed $200K and continue to draw interest; we are all excited to see how high it goes.

The post RARE Pete Crow-Armstrong MLB Debut Patch 1/1 hits auction at Goldin appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Cubs finally clinched their playoff spot. They’re now jockeying for position in the National League Wild Card standings to see where and against whom they begin their postseason run.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Bregman is back as weather continues to complicate Wild Card picture

As things stand right now, they are in the No. 2 seed of the NL Wild Card race, one game behind the San Diego Padres and one game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies, with just one three-game series left in the season.

And while the settling of their opponent and location will affect their chances in the postseason, the biggest bits of uncertainty remain within the team itself.

One of their biggest issues continues to be a bullpen that has been inconsistent at best and horrible at worst.

Cabrera out, Hollowell in

More News: Chicago Cubs ace Justin Steele “an option” for failing bullpen

On Friday, one piece of that questionable relief corps was switched out. The Cubs placed Edward Cabrera on the Family Medical Emergency List and then recalled Gavin Hollowell from Triple-A Iowa for the final series of the season.

Cabrera has been pitching out of the bullpen since making his return from the IL in mid-September, but things have not been going well at all. In 3 relief appearances, the righty is posting an 11.25 ERA and has allowed 5 hits and 4 walks in 4 total innings.

Hollowell, meanwhile, had a 2.51 ERA through 14.1 innings pitched with the big league Cubs before being put on the shelf with right shoulder inflammation.

So, despite the Cubs’ plans for Cabrera as a long-relief option in the pen, the Hollowell-for-Cabrera swap in the roster might be considered a positive

Another potential positive is the possible return of Justin Steele, who could see some work in the bullpen before closing the curtain on a frustrating 2026 spent recovering from 2025 elbow surgery and then a flexor strain. In a perfect world, Steele would prove himself capable of taking a bullpen spot as a left-handed short relief option, possibly as a replacement for the struggling Caleb Thielbar.

Hollowell and Steele over Cabrera and Thielbar would be potential positives, although there are a lot of “buts” and “what ifs” tied into the swaps.

More bullpen positives

However, the good news for the Cubs is that there are actually some “for real” positives popping up when it comes to the beleaguered bullpen.

Daniel Palencia, for example, has now gone 6 outings without allowing a run and 8 outings without allowing an earned run. In his last eight appearances, he’s only allowed 5 base runners (4 via walk and 1 via hit).

Ryan Zeferjahn, who struggled when first coming to the Cubs from the Angels at the trade deadline, has now gone 6 outings without allowing a run. Waiver wire acquisition Ryan Rolison has been a surprise asset since coming to the team. Colin Rea, Javier Assad, and Aaron Civale have also looked good down the stretch as multi-inning relief options.

So, it’s not all doom and gloom when talking about the Cubs’ bullpen. But there’s significant weakness and insecurity there to be concerned about what may happen when this group hits high-pressure postseason play.

Whatever the case, though, this is the bullpen the Cubs have and everyone will just have to cross fingers and hold on tight to see how everything plays out.

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The Chicago Cubs, as things sit right now, are the No. 2 seed in the National League Wild Card standings. They are a game behind the San Diego Padres and a game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies, who are in the No. 3 spot and on the verge of clinching a playoff berth.

More News: Chicago Cubs hobbled by MLB weather-related schedule change

While the NL playoff teams will soon be all set, the final Wild Card seeding is still very much in the air and, for the Cubs, this upcoming weekend series will play a major role in how the playoff picture plays out.

That’s why there’s been so much angst and argument regarding this upcoming three-game series between the Cubs and the Boston Red Sox—two teams who have already clinched playoff spots.

Storms and the decisions made

More News: Chicago Cubs hold breath after apparent Kevin Gausman injury

With a big storm moving into Boston, MLB has made moves to re-work the schedule around the rain. They scheduled a doubleheader for today (Friday) and even moved the starting time of game 2 about a half-hour earlier to try and avoid the looming weather issues.

Efforts were reportedly made to move the Cubs-Red Sox series to Chicago, but both the Padres and Phillies reasonably opposed the idea. The Chicago-Boston series finale on Sunday, however, could be moved to Tampa Bay.

Every effort is being made to get this upcoming series in—in tact and on-schedule—because it most likely will help determine the Wild Card portions of the upcoming postseason schedule.

Along with the efforts from MLB to prioritize playing these games, the Cubs are making sure to prioritize winning.

Alex Bregman back in the lineup

And that definitely appears to be the case with the team’s decision to put third baseman Alex Bregman back into the lineup just five days after a foul ball off the bat of Michael Busch struck his face and gave him an ugly black eye and multiple facial fractures.

In the first game of Friday’s double bill, Bregman is slated to hit third as the designated hitter with Matt Shaw penciled in as the third baseman.

Manager Craig Counsell had told media that the three-time All-Star had already begun hitting and running activities as his injuries were fairly fresh and that he looked good doing so. However, it’s still somewhat of a surprise to see him back in the lineup for this upcoming game.

His return can be seen as a mix of the fierce competitor chomping at the bit to get back into action and, also, the Cubs’ dire need to jump start a flat-lining offense before the start of the playoffs.

Bregman has been, arguably, the second best player in all of baseball—behind teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong—since the All-Star break and a real spark plug for an offense that looked dominant. Since the Mid-Summer Classic, he’s hitting .296 with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs while posting a WAR of 3.4. On the season, he’s hitting .262 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs, all while playing stellar defense at third.

Bregman coming back in Boston also plays into an intriguing side storyline involving his return to the city he left after just one season. Rather than play through his three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox, he opted to exercise his player option at the end of the 2025 season, opening the door for his 5-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs.

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The Chicago Cubs are not exactly easing their way into the postseason. As a matter of fact, clinching this playoff berth has been a little like pulling teeth.

More News: Chicago Cubs hold breath after apparent Kevin Gausman injury

They’ve failed twice at clinching a playoff spot with their magic number down to “1.” Both were heartbreaking losses to the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. Over their last 15 games, they are 6-9 and looking extremely vulnerable in key areas, such as the bullpen and the ability to produce with runners in scoring position.

They are definitely not heading into the playoffs with anything resembling positive momentum.

And now an added complication has been tossed into the mix for the beleaguered Cubs.

MLB recently announced that in an effort to deal proactively with a stormy forecast in what’s shaping up to be a crucial three-game series in Boston, the Cubs and Red Sox will play a doubleheader on Friday to squeeze in an extra game before the rain.

A doubleheader sprung on the Cubs

More News: Chicago Cubs ace Justin Steele “an option” for failing bullpen

The decision—which is horribly abrupt for such an important series—places Chicago in all kinds of potential difficulty. As things stand right now, the Cubs are one game behind the San Diego Padres for the top seed in the National League Wild Card standings and tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for the second spot. The series in Boston will determine the team’s hosting status—if the Cubs ever do actually clinch their playoff spot.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell was not at all happy with MLB’s decision to spring a doubleheader on his team.

“They never move games up and especially within a five-day window of a starting rotation,” Counsell told reporters on Wednesday. “So we can’t have somebody ready to pitch on Saturday. They just moved games up on us. I understand there’s extenuating circumstances, but you just don’t see that happening.”

“What I know is happening is we’re going to play three games,” Counsell added. “So if weather is an issue, then yeah, we’re going to have to figure out a place to play a third game.”

Forced to pitch on short rest

And some key postseason arms are going to have pitch on short rest, either in Boston or in the opening Wild Card series. Shota Imanaga, for example, will pitch Saturday on short rest and Clay Holmes, slated to start one of Friday’s doubleheader games, will probably find himself excluded from the possibility of pitching Tuesday’s Wild Card opener.

The players themselves, though, don’t seem all that stressed over having yet another hurdle placed in front of them after a season full of twists and unfortunate turns.

“Really and truly, this one couldn’t be more out of our control,” Swanson told media. “There’s just so much uncertainty, but there’s kind of some peace in that, knowing that at the end of the day, our job is to show up and put our best foot forward. We have a lot of pros in here who are capable of handling anything thrown their way. If you look at this season, you kind of expect nothing less at this point…[but] this group is tough and built for it.”

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The Chicago Cubs have been stuck with a magic number of “1” for the last couple days, yet they can’t seem to clinch that all-important playoff spot.

More News: Chicago Cubs ace Justin Steele “an option” for failing bullpen

Wednesday night at Wrigley Field, they missed another chance to clinch with a 3-2 loss to the Miami Marlins.

Perhaps most distressing about last night, though, was seeing starter Kevin Gausman pulled from the game in the sixth inning after an apparent injury.

The veteran trade deadline acquisition made a spectacular diving tag at third base and got to his feet to check on the other runner. However, he would fall on his knees in clear discomfort immediately after that, favoring his left shoulder. Eventually, manager Craig Counsell would remove him from the game.

On the evening, Gausman pitched 5.2 innings and allowed 2 earned runs before leaving the game.

Checking in on Gausman

More News: Chicago Cubs offer mega-positive update on Alex Bregman

“His left shoulder got extended kind of weird,” Counsell told reporters after the loss. “Just grabbed on him a little bit. He’s a little sore right now, but we’ll treat it and see how he is in the next couple of days.”

Needless to say, losing Gausman’s veteran arm at this point of the season, with the Wild Card series beginning on Tuesday, would be a major blow to the Cubs’ playoff plans. It has the possibility of altering the team’s postseason strategy as Gausman was specifically acquired because of his workhorse attitude and success in postseason play.

Gausman himself doesn’t really know if this apparent injury to his non-throwing shoulder will be a major issue.

“Kind of an awkward position to be in,” Gausman told media. “I dislocated this shoulder in high school a long time ago. I didn’t necessarily do the same exact thing, but just kind of banged it pretty good. It felt fine until I kind of stood up to check the other runner. It just kind of felt the left shoulder was pretty weak at that point. It still feels pretty weak.”

When asked if he expected to be recovered in a few days, he was alarmingly noncommittal.

“I hope I wake up and feel great tomorrow, but you never know,” he replied. “I’ll get on some medicine, get some treatment, try to get in front of it tonight. But it’s just kind of a we’ll-wait-and-see type thing.”

Wild Card rotation issues

Because of scheduling, it was possible that the Cubs would’ve gone with Gausman as their starter for game one of the Wild Card series, especially since Clay Holmes is slated to start one of the games in Friday’s double-header against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Now, though, it appears as though the only real option for the Cubs in game one of the playoffs is Matthew Boyd, with Holmes, Shota Imanaga, and Gausman in the picture for the rest of the opening series.

The problem is that losing even one piece of an already-fragile puzzle could make a big difference for a team struggling with pitching issues.

Everyone will just have to wait and see how this Gausman situation plays out.

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The Chicago Cubs had an opportunity to officially clinch their spot in the playoffs on Tuesday. But with an 8-2 loss to the Miami Marlins, Chicago is still waiting.

Despite that score, the game actually went into extra innings, knotted at two after nine. However, the Marlins poured on six runs in the top of the 12th inning to secure victory.

At 87-7o, the Cubs still hold the top Wild Card spot. Only the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are four games out, are within striking distance. Furthermore, the Cubs hold the tiebreaker over both the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres, giving the franchise a bit of a buffer.

But Chicago still hasn’t officially made the playoffs. And once they get there, Chicago doesn’t want to be an easy out. Manager Craig Counsell knows they can’t afford many games like Tuesday’s.

Craig Counsell calls out Cubs’ biggest flaw

On Tuesday, the Cubs went just 1-of-18 with runners in scoring position. While the six-run 12th may may thinks look lopsided, Chicago had ample opportunities to grab a lead. Counsell didn’t hold back on those missed opportunities, via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

“We just didn’t get a hit,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “You’re not going to win many games with that. Obviously, the 10th and 11th, we had opportunities. We needed a hit. We didn’t get a hit. It’s pretty simple.”

Overall, the Cubs stranded 15 total runners, including seven in the last four inning. Chicago has one of, if not the most imposing offenses in the league. But they must come up in clutch situations to earn that respect.

The Cubs can still clinch their playoff spot with a win on Wednesday. They must shake off their previous loss quickly. Furthermore, Counsell will be looking for Chicago to be much more impactful with runners on base.

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Chicago Cubs pitching is hobbling its way towards the playoffs, dragging a badly wounded bullpen behind it.

More News: Chicago Cubs offer mega-positive update on Alex Bregman

On Tuesday, the Cubs wasted a very good start from Shota Imanaga and some solid work from four relievers when they blew their chance to clinch a playoff spot in extra innings at Wrigley Field against the Miami Marlins.

Cubs pitching was cooking until the twelfth when Caleb Thielbar and Edward Cabrera combined to allow 6 runs, leading to an 8-2 loss.

It was ugly. It was so ugly that it has people once again grasping at the slightest bit of hope when it comes to finding some workable bullpen fits ahead of the postseason.

One of those “slightest bits of hope” is former Cubs ace Justin Steele, who finished his minor league assignment and is, apparently, in consideration for a bullpen spot as soon as this weekend.

Justin Steele…The Comeback?

More News: Chicago Cubs get horrific reality check ahead of playoffs

On Tuesday, manager Craig Counsell made that sliver of optimism a maybe, possible reality, telling reporters that the veteran lefty is an “option” for the last weekend series of the regular season against the Boston Red Sox.

“He’s an option, I guess is the best way to say it,” Counsell said. “He’s gonna throw a bullpen tomorrow. So, I think the plan for him is to be an option this weekend possibly and we’ll just kinda see what this weekend has in store for us and what this weekend gives us…I guess I’m really encouraged [that] he pitched really well his last outing and I think that’s a good feeling for me, just to have success and to feel like I threw the ball well as you kind of work through this process and work to get back. That’s a great sign. There’s other considerations after Justin, I guess, from a team perspective that we’ve got to figure out and make sure that we make the right decisions.”

Those “other considerations” have to do with the roster realities facing the team ahead of the playoffs and the fact that using Steele—in what may be little more than a feel-good token outing before a 2027 full return—may bump another pitcher off the list of realistic postseason options.

There aren’t too many people who truly believe that Steele, at this point, is going to jump right into the mix after almost two years of recovery from elbow surgery and then a right flexor strain to be an every day option in the Cubs’ postseason bullpen.

Cautious optimism

Cubs president Jed Hoyer, like Counsell, was cautious to not go too far in talking up the possibility of a Steele comeback this season.

“He’s in the discussion, which I think is a win for him, that he’s come that far,” Hoyer told Cubs.com. “We just have to, candidly, see where we are, see what’s happened and then we’ll make that decision.”

As a starter, the 31-year-old worked his way into becoming the Cubs’ ace and one of baseball’s top starters over the course of four full seasons, posting 3.34 ERA through 91 games. He went down to a season-ending elbow injury in April of last season, in just his fourth start of the year. His recovery was later stalled when he suffered a flexor straing rehabbing his elbow.

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When Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman took a foul ball off the face from the bat of Michael Busch, Cubs fans felt a collective shot to the gut.

More News: Chicago Cubs get horrific reality check ahead of playoffs

The freak accident was reminiscent of the equally freaky misfortune suffered by pitcher Cade Horton last season, right before the Wild Card round of the playoffs. In the case of Horton, the coughing fit that resulted in a right rib fracture kept him from the playoffs. In Bregman’s case, though, there might not be much missed time at all, despite the crack to the upper cheek bone resulting in facial fractures and an ugly black eye.

As a matter of fact, there’s some chatter that the three-time All-Star may be back this weekend sometime, well ahead of next week’s Wild Card series. He’s already back with the team and working out.

Counsell on Bregman: “…Really good signs”

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On Tuesday, manager Craig Counsell and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer offered some insight into the third baseman’s injury and his current state of mind.

“He’s completely himself,” Counsell told reporters. “He can’t sit still. He’s all over the room. Those are really good signs.”

“I think Alex is going to be fine, I really do,” Counsell added. “He’s planning on playing. He knew he had to get some good news from the doctors. He got that good news. So he’s going to do everything in his power. And as long as symptoms don’t increase, or happen as he increases activity, I think you’re going to see him play.”

Hoyer lauds Bregman’s gumption: “It’s impressive”

Hoyer, meanwhile, offered a similarly cheery update on the star’s state of mind and being.

“He doesn’t look great, that’s for sure,” Hoyer quipped. “But no one loves to play more than him. I can say that with no equivocation. I’ve never had a player that loves baseball as much as he does. He just wants to play all the time. Right away, when we first heard from him afterwards, [he said] he was going to find a way to do it.

“There were scenarios where there was no way it was going to happen—if he needed surgery or things like that. But he didn’t. Now he has the chance to get out there. And there’s nothing he wants to do more. It’s impressive.”

Since the All-Star break, Bregman has been, arguably, the second best position player in all of baseball—second to only teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong—with a WAR of 3.4, a .296 batting average, 17 home runs and 48 RBIs. In this first of five seasons with Chicago, he’s hitting .262 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs.

With the Cubs all but set to start their Wild Card series next week, the two-time World Series-winning Bregman is expected to be a key veteran asset to an offensively potent, but pitching-hobbled team with big-time aspirations. As he wait to be cleared for a full return, young assets Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez will fill his spot.

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The Chicago Cubs find themselves in a Wild Card race that they didn’t envision being in a few weeks back. The way things were going, the Cubs appeared destined to host a Wild Card series in the National League for the playoffs. But the hot play of the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies have tightened things in the playoff race.

As the Cubs begin the final week of the regular season, they are set to host the Miami Marlins for three games at Wrigley Field. But their finale in Boston is a series that could be heavily impacted by the weather. That would complicate some things in terms of the final three games.

Right now, a potentially problematic rainfall, especially on Saturday and Sunday, could provide some issues for the games. A nor’easter storm is set to hit the Boston area, and there could be a change in the schedule.

MLB provides update on plans for Cubs-Red Sox series

With the game set to be played in just a few days, there were talks that MLB could change the venues. However, Bruce Levine of 104.3 The Score is reporting that the league does not appear ready to change the venue. But they are open to playing on Monday or starting games earlier or a double-header on Friday.

Looking toward the bad weather expected in Boston,The league does not appear ready to change the venue. Playing on the Monday is an option.Starting games earlier and possible Double header also possible. Cubs must complete all 162 games if it impacts Padres/Phils seeding.

— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) September 22, 2026

The issue with Monday is that the NL Wild Card series is set to start Tuesday for both series which would eliminate the only day off for the teams. The other thing that Levine notes is that the Cubs must complete all 162 games if it impacts the Padres or Phillies in seeding.

The Cubs are Padres are tied with a 87-69 record going into the week. Meanwhile, the Phillies are one game back at 86-70. There’s also the Arizona Diamondbacks who are 82-74 and four games back of the Phillies. It’s unlikely they make it but they still have the chance to make things a little difficult.

Let’s hope the seeding is decided before the weather impacts things.

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The Chicago Cubs, barring some wildly unforeseeable set of circumstances over the last six games of the regular season, will make the playoffs. It’s still to be determined, however, where they’ll land in the NL Wild Card seeding.

More News: Alex Bregman’s bust-to-bonanza year wins Chicago Cubs accolades

Currently tied for the No. 1 seed with the San Diego Padres and just one game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies, the team’s fortunes could see them either host the Wild Card series or hit the road for that first round.

Whatever the case, though, the Cubs’ fortunes will seemingly rest on whether their pitching staff can hold up in postseason play.

Cubs postseason pitching concerns

More News: The Chicago Cubs need to re-sign this free agency-eligible veteran right now

Currently boasting the top offense and defense in baseball, Chicago’s pitching staff ranks closer to the bottom of the barrel than the top of the heap.

In a recent piece for The Athletic, Stephen J. Nesbitt and Chad Jennings ranked the thirteen teams in postseason contention and placed the Cubs firmly in the No. 10 spot, ahead of only the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, and Chicago White Sox.

Per Nesbitt and Jennings:

“Jed Hoyer’s summer acquisitions overhauled this Cubs pitching core quite a bit, with Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman strengthening the playoff rotation, Ryan Zeferjahn beefing up the late-inning options, and David Peterson and Aaron Civale filling bulk relief roles.

The results leave much to be desired. Despite pitching in front of the best defense in the sport, the Cubs rank 16th in staff ERA this season, third-worst among the teams included in this list (only the Rangers and Astros were worse). The numbers have been better in recent weeks. It remains unclear in what order the Cubs’ leverage relievers will be deployed, but at least we know who they are. There are numerous interesting options to cover the middle innings, from Edward Cabrera to Caleb Thielbar, Aaron Civale, Colin Rea and Justin Steele, who hasn’t appeared in an MLB game since April 7, 2025.”

Some might argue that a No. 10 ranking is even being a bit generous.

Concerns and question marks

The Cubs have a lot of question marks throughout their pitching staff and a lot of potential holes that could become fatal flaws in the heat of playoff action.

The bullpen, of course, has been wildly inconsistent, bordering on downright awful at times.

Chicago’s late-inning, high-leverage arms—Jacob Webb and Daniel Palencia—have been unable to shut down opposing teams when it matters. Trade deadline acquisition Ryan Zeferjahn, picked up as a possible closer-type, has also struggled as a Cub. The relievers between the starters and the closers have been surprisingly solid for the most part, but none are going to blow anyone away.

The starting rotation, meanwhile, looks fragile, even with the trade deadline additions of Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman—and David Peterson before that. The Cubs’ world would’ve been a lot easier if Cade Horton had not been lost for the season with an elbow injury and if Justin Steele had not suffered a setback in recovering from his own elbow injury. It also would’ve been really nice if Edward Cabrera had panned out in his first year with the team.

As things stand now, the Cubs will have a postseason rotation of Holmes, Gausman, Matthew Boyd, and Shota Imanaga and a bullpen full of hopes and wishes.

Could their offense and defense carry the Cubs through the postseason? Possibly, but maybe not likely.

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The Chicago Cubs are getting some major accolades for an offseason deal that many said was proving to be a major bust. As a matter of fact, that very same deal is now being hailed as “Transaction of the Year” by a respected industry insider.

More News: The Chicago Cubs need to re-sign this free agency-eligible veteran right now

Up until the middle of July, signing third baseman Alex Bregman to a 5-year, $175 million contract starting in his age-32 year seemed like it was panning out very poorly. Although it was expected that the three-time All-Star would be diminished and past his prime in the last couple years of the deal, in many eyes, he was showing signs of significant decline in his very first year with the team.

That was a troubling possibility, especially considering that the team had passed over the 24-year-old Matt Shaw to give Bregman the gig at third.

But to his great credit, Bregman grinded his way to a turnaround—and what a turnaround it was.

Bregman goes from bust to bonanza

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From the end of July to the facial fractures this past Sunday, caused by a foul ball off the bat of Michael Busch, Bregman has arguably been the second best player in all of baseball behind teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong. Since the All-Star break, he’s slashing .296/.378/.600 with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs. On the season, he’s hitting .262 with 26 homers and 89 RBIs.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently named the Bregman signing as “Transaction of the Year” in his annual awards article.

Per Passan:

“…The industry thought the Cubs wildly overpaid when they gave him five years and $175 million over the winter. Even if the $70 million in deferred money took the value of the deal closer to $132 million, Bregman was 32 and, many believed, past his prime. And for the season’s first four months, they weren’t wrong.

Where Bregman excels most is not necessarily on the field, though. It’s tearing through video. It’s working on his swing. It’s putting in the requisite time to get himself right. The breakthrough finally happened in August, and in the time since, Bregman has been the second-best player in baseball behind his teammate Crow-Armstrong. The power is back. The strikeouts are practically nonexistent. His season OPS, at .689 entering August, is now over .800. And thanks to the tweaks he made at the plate, it’s the sort of thing Bregman can replicate and continue.”

And one also has to take into account his stellar defense at third and his much-acknowledged leadership in the clubhouse.

A contract worth its weight

It’s not likely that Bregman will keep up this torrid pace of excellence throughout the rest of his Cubs contract, but nobody’s really expecting that. Two or three great years followed by a solid, steady presence the rest of the way would be enough to make the contract a success story.

For now, though, the concern is his injury and whether the facial fractures and swollen eye will heal enough for him to play in the postseason.

Bregman is optimistic that he’ll be back sooner rather than later.

“Thanks for all the messages y’all,” he told fans via social media update. “I’ll be back.”

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has elevated his game into a different stratosphere in 2026. He is ending the regular season as the clear NL MVP favorite and will be tasked with leading the Cubs’ playoff push.

Entering Tuesday’s games, Crow-Armstrong is hitting .280 with 45 home runs, 107 RBIs and 38 stolen bases. He is tied for the MLB lead in home runs, ranks fourth in RBIs and fifth in stolen bases.

Looking deeper into the stats shows even moreso how bonkers the outfielder’s season has been. Crow-Armstrong currently holds a Wins Above replacement mark of 10.4. The next highest player is Shohei Ohtani at 6.7, via FanGraphs. Even the best players in the league don’t often have that big of an advantage.

Crow-Armstrong’s 2026 season won’t be forgotten soon and will likely be capped by an MVP award. It also stacks up amongst the greatest performances in league history.

Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong in elite company

Only five outfielders have in the past half century have reached the 10 WAR mark. Which is why Jeff Passan of ESPN awarded Crow-Armstrong is ‘Best Prime Mike Trout Impression’ Award.

“One look at 10-win seasons by outfielders in the past half-century illustrates that,” Passan wrote. “Only five players have reached that mark: Barry Bonds five times, Aaron Judge three, Mike Trout two, and Rickey Henderson, Mookie Betts and Crow-Armstrong one time apiece. None went 40/40 like Crow-Armstrong will look to do with two more stolen bases this week. The closest facsimiles are Trout in his first full season (30 home runs and 49 stolen bases) and Betts in 2018 (32 and 30).”

“Even though Trout and Betts had better all-around offensive numbers, Crow-Armstrong’s acumen at such an important defensive position makes up for whatever offensive deficiencies one chooses to use against him,” he continued. “And given that he has the highest wOBA in the NL this year, Crow-Armstrong’s bat has done sufficient talking already.”

While injuries and the Los Angeles Angels have held him back, Trout was considered one of the best players in league history during his prime. He has 12 All-Star nominations and three MVP awards to show for it. For Crow-Armstrong to be considered in that light is telling.

But the one accolade that has escaped Trout is a World Series title. Crow-Armstrong is trying to be different in that regard. His MVP season would only be held at highest esteem should the outfielder lead Chicago on a deep run.

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It appears Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman’s regular season is over. Per Jeff Passan, he suffered multiple facial fractures, and the team is hopeful he will return for the postseason. Bregman has been posting pictures of his swollen face on social media, with one eye completely swollen shut.

Chicago Cubs star Alex Bregman suffered multiple facial fractures after being struck by a foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle Sunday, sources tell ESPN. Bregman will not undergo surgery and is hopeful to return in the postseason.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 21, 2026

Time will tell if he returns in the playoffs, but either way, his regular season stats are now final. After such a rough start, Bregman rebounded midseason and put together a campaign worth $26.3 million. In 153 games, he slashed .262/.352/.452 with 26 homers, 89 RBI, .804 OPS, 124 wRC+, and was a 5.2 fWAR player (fourth-highest in a season in his career).

Tell any Cubs fan before the season starts that those are his numbers by the end of the year, and they are likely very satisfied.

Alex Bregman’s second half propelled his season

As mentioned, the first half of Bregman’s tenure in Chicago was brutal. He wasn’t driving the ball or delivering timely hits. While his plate discipline was good, and thus his OBP remained consistently respectable, his overall production lacked. By July 10th, Bregman was hitting just .235/.333/.338 with a .670 OPS, seven homers, and 35 RBI in 92 games. That accounted for 60% of his season.

Over the last 40% of his season, he hit .301/.382/.623 with a 1.006 OPS, 19 homers, and 54 RBI in 61 games. It’s much better when the slugging percentage starts with a 6 rather than the OPS. From July 11th through September 21st, Bregman posted the highest wRC+ in baseball (174) and trailed just teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong in RBI, slug, and fWAR (3.7) accumulated. He was third in homers behind Crow-Armstrong and Fernando Tatis Jr.

He worked hard to make the appropriate adjustments, and they paid off big time. What arguably stands out the most is the power surge. He was hitting so many weak pop-ups early in the year; through July 10th, he had the second-highest infield fly ball percentage (20.3%) in baseball and one of the lowest slugging percentages. Once he started straightening things out, more fly balls turned into line drive homers.

In the end, his surge turned a huge disappointment into a very good season. He played like an MVP in the second half and was key in winning games while the pitching struggled. It’s just a shame this fluky injury had to happen.

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The Chicago Cubs got their magic number down to “1” on Sunday at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati when they beat the Reds 9-1.

More News: Chicago Cubs making big “next year” moves while focusing on this year

Despite seven different Cubs getting an RBI on the day, the hero of the game had to be starting pitcher David Peterson, who allowed just one earned run on 3 hits and a walk in 6 innings.

The performance lowers Peterson’s season ERA to 4.96 and his Cubs ERA to 3.94 over 15 games.

The numbers alone definitely won’t blow anyone away, but they don’t tell the whole story of just how crucial Peterson has been to the team in the second half of this season.

And there’s definitely a case to be made that the Cubs need to explore re-signing the free agency-eligible lefty as a key piece of their 2027 pitching staff.

David Peterson as a Cub

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Since coming over from the New York Mets on June 25, the veteran has been a much-needed point of stability in the injury-battered starting rotation. If you exclude the two bad outings he’s had with Chicago, his ERA goes all the way down to 2.25 and he’s delivered 5 quality starts in his Cubs run—two consecutive down this home stretch of the regular season.

He was brought to the team in a highly-questioned trade at the time as injury and poor performance had the Cubs doubting whether they even had enough starting pitching to man a full rotation.

“David came in at a time when we were wondering who was going to start a game for us,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Really, that’s where we were at. Can we bring some people in that can stabilize the rotation, that we can count on to make the starts? I think David’s done an excellent job at that.”

Peterson impressed right from the start and worked diligently with the Cubs coaching staff to fix the kinks in his game that had him struggling with the Mets.

“There’s nothing huge or new,” Peterson told reporters back in August. “A lot of it was coming down to getting back to some old patterns that I had when I was at my best. It’s starting to hammer on those a little bit: Get more into my legs, use my lower body more efficiently and take some stress off the arm, which I think helped with the command and some of the pitch shapes…

“I’m focused on being a better version of myself every day. That’s kind of the goal. Those are good things to look back on, good videos to see what I was doing right back then to clean some stuff up, but I like where we’re going.”

Help for a starting rotation in crisis

Heading into 2027, the Cubs will be in a tough spot when it comes to their starting rotation. Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga will be eligible for free agency, as will trade deadline acquisition Kevin Gausman. Fellow deadline pickup Clay Holmes, meanwhile, is expected to reject his 2027 player option and also explore free agency.

Emerging ace Cade Horton will be out for much—if not all—of the season, recovering from Tommy John surgery in April. Justin Steele, meanwhile, will be coming back to full-time duty after his own elbow surgery issues.

So, the Cubs will need starting pitching—proven starting pitching. A rotation of the comebacking Steele, Edward Cabrera, Javier Assad, and Colin Rea does not inspire the least bit of confidence.

And although the front office will have a good amount of money coming off the books, it’s not realistic to expect them to sign two or three front-of-rotation pitchers to beef up their staff.

That’s where Peterson comes in.

Even if he gets a 50% raise from his 2026 $8.1 million salary, he’d still be a solid buy for the Cubs and a smart asset for the back-end of the rotation. At 31, he’d probably be asking for a 3-4 year deal, but the realities of his recent struggles could mean having to settle for a 2-year contract.

Admittedly, Peterson is not the flashiest name on a Cubs pitching wish list, but he’d be a solid blue collar addition at a good price that allows the team to sign up more talent. He clearly loves the Cubs coaches who, in turn, seem able to get the best out of him. He’ll also flourish as a groundball pitcher with the elite Cubs infield defense behind him. Trying to keep him in Chicago should be a no-brainer.

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Since the All-Star break, the Chicago Cubs’ duo of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman has arguably been one of the most feared one-two punches in the league. On Sunday, Crow-Armstrong crushed his 45th home run of the season, leaving him just two stolen bases shy of a 40/40 season.

Bregman, meanwhile, suffered a scary injury after being struck in the cheek by a foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle. He immediately left the game with blood coming from his face and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. Following the incident, Bregman posted an update on his Instagram account, reassuring fans with a simple message: “I will be back.”

up for Alex Bregman after he got hit in the face while waiting on deck today.

via abreg_1/Instagram https://t.co/AhF7WvSHfG

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 20, 2026

That said, as concerning as Bregman’s injury appears to be, with less than a week remaining in the regular season, there are some significant ripple effects worth discussing.

3 ripple effects the Chicago Cubs must consider following Alex Bregman injury

As mentioned above, there are fewer than seven days remaining in MLB’s regular season: six days, to be exact, as of September 21. The National League Wild Card Series begins Tuesday, September 29, just eight days from now. That timeline creates an important roster consideration for the Cubs.

Unless Bregman is placed on the seven-day concussion IL, putting him on the 10-day IL would prevent him from returning in time for the start of the postseason. The ripple effect is that the Cubs could be forced to play the final week of the regular season with one fewer position player on their active roster while Bregman takes the necessary time to recover. Without the ability to add a replacement, that would leave Chicago at a significant roster disadvantage.

Lastly, the Cubs will need to hope Bregman can return to his pre-injury form by the time the playoffs begin. The swelling around his eye following the hit to his cheek could potentially affect his vision and, in turn, his ability to track the ball and perform at his usual level. For a player who had been on such a torrid run and has become an important part of Chicago’s lineup, the timing of the injury could be particularly problematic.

Between the possibility of Bregman avoiding an IL stint, the Cubs potentially playing shorthanded this week, and the uncertainty surrounding whether he can quickly return to form with the playoffs beginning next week, Bregman’s injury is more than just a freak and unfortunate accident. It comes at perhaps the worst possible time for Chicago, as they battle for a Wild Card spot while also looking to make a deep playoff run.

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The Chicago Cubs won’t be able to let up, even if they end up clinching a playoff spot today or tomorrow.

They are currently tied with the San Diego Padres for the top National League Wild Card seed—and the important home field advantage in the Wild Card round. They’re also just one game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies. This NL Wild Card race will likely be a dog fight over the remaining seven games of the regular season.

More News: Chicago Cubs are getting the best Dansby Swanson back just in time

But that doesn’t mean that the team doesn’t have one eye firmly fixed on the future.

Maneuverings aimed at answering some of next year’s roster questions have already become evident as the team faces a good degree of uncertainty heading into 2027.

The biggest uncertainty facing next season’s team is pitching.

Chicago’s bullpen has been wildly inconsistent and, at times, has appeared to be in full-on collapse mode. Injury has forced the team to rely on castoffs from other teams and on arms picked up via minor league contracts.

But the Cubs do have some firm early bullpen plans as this season comes to a close.

Eyes on the 2027 bullpen

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Veteran Shelby Miller, who was signed to a two-year contract this offseason, had come back from last fall’s elbow surgery a lot sooner than expected. It was so much sooner that many thought the talented reliever would return in time for this year’s postseason. That wasn’t the case, though, and the Cubs decided to shut Miller down for the year, despite solid showings in multiple minor league rehab assignment outings.

Rookie southpaw reliever Riley Martin was a breakthrough bullpen asset very early in the season, but was lost for the year with a left elbow flexor strain. However, he’s been back working a rehab assignment and showing signs of a full recovery. Veteran reliever Phil Maton, meanwhile, underwent right knee surgery to address an issue that likely contributed to an uncharacteristically poor debut season in Chicago. He’s under contract through the 2027 season.

Heading into 2027, the Cubs will have healthy veterans Miller and Maton back in the bullpen and a talented sophomore also healthy and ready to go. On paper, at least, this looks like a solid base to add to the relief corps also slated to return next year.

First base, outfield plans

Meanwhile, the need for a backup to Michael Busch at first base is also being addressed this late-season.

Down at Triple-A Iowa, catcher of the future Owen Ayers has gotten some looks at first. Recently, outfielder Kevin Alcantara has also gotten some playing time there. Neither Ayers nor Alcantara will ever be full-time options at first base and they probably won’t even get all that much time there if/when they become full-time major leaguers, but the Cubs brain trust is actively looking for added value from both in anticipation of a 2027 promotion.

Then, there are the corner outfield spots, currently manned by possibly outgoing free agents Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki.

The Cubs have done well with the veteran presence of Michael Conforto and the trade deadline acquisition of Tyrone Taylor, but both are also free agency-eligible at the end of this season. With top outfield prospects Josiah Hartshorn, Kane Kepley, and Ethan Conrad still a year or two away from seriously vying for a major league roster spot, Chicago will need someone for right and/or left as soon as this coming season.

Matt Shaw has gotten some playing time in the outfield and so has Pedro Ramirez—both at the minor league and major league level. Both young talents have impressed with their versatility, attitude, and all-around ability.

So, the Cubs are making their 2027 moves even as they are in the thick of a push to the playoffs in the here and now. They’re hoping that next year’s plans come into place after a satisfying end to 2026.

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The Chicago Cubs may be close to clinching a playoff spot, but the battle for home field advantage will rage on throughout the final week of the regular season.

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As things stand right now, the Cubs and the San Diego Padres share the top spot in the National League Wild Card standings (although Chicago has the tie-breaker between the two). The Philadelphia Phillies, however, are just a game behind the top two.

In other words, the important top Wild Card seed is completely up for grabs. As a result, there will be no time to ease up and relax before the start of the postseason. The Cubs will very much be in sustained “all men on deck” mode, likely for the remaining seven guys of the regular season.

That’s why the return of shortstop Dansby Swanson is such a big deal.

Swanson’s bat

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On Saturday, in the Cubs’ 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark, he went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a run scored. Since returning from an oblique strain, he’s gone 3-for-7 with 3 runs scored.

“I said this is a little bit of uncharted territory for me,” Swanson told Marquee Sports Network after the game. “I’m just extremely blessed to be able to be out here. I’m just so thankful for all the support that this team has given me to be able to get back on the field. And just grateful for the guys for holding it down while I was gone. And it’s good to be able to win tonight.”

The veteran’s bat returning to the potent lineup is a big deal. He’s contributed to the team having the most potent lineup nine-spot in baseball. He’s also a notoriously streaky hitter who can do big damage when he’s hot.

The veteran’s defense, however, is what really makes his return important for the team’s playoff chances. Saturday saw him make an uncharacteristic throwing error, but that can be chalked up to rust from his IL stint and the lack of any real rehab assignment.

Dansby’s MVP-level defense

Generally speaking, though, Swanson is a defensive MVP.

While second baseman Nico Hoerner did a great job filling in during the injury, the team’s infield defense did suffer without Swanson playing every day.

Matt Ostrowski of North Side Baseball crunched some numbers and came up with some solid data showing just how important Swanson actually is:

“Exactly how much did his one month on the injured list end up hurting the North Siders? We can reach a rough approximation of this using the Fielding Run Value (FRV) stat at Baseball Savant. In the 125 games that they played prior to Swanson’s injury, the Cubs led all of baseball in this statistic, having saved 61 runs above average. That was a whopping 23 runs more than the second-place Cardinals…

In their 27 games without him, they saved seven runs above average, just eighth-best in baseball. They went from saving almost half of a run per game (above average) to about a quarter of a run…

…The Cubs were fifth in FRV from their shortstops prior to Swanson going down, and in the month since, they only dropped to eighth…the Cubs went from eighth in FRV at second base when Hoerner was the primary player at the keystone, all the way down to 18th with Ramírez as the primary guy…

According to FanGraphs, the Cubs allowed a .219 batting average on groundballs with Swanson in the fold, and that jumped to .229 in the month that he was on the injured list.”

Swanson is programmed to have an off day on Sunday, but he’ll be counted on the rest of the way as Chicago fights for playoff positioning.

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Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman, and the Stat Lines Chicago Hasn’t Seen Since 1958: A Deeper Look at the Numbers

Wednesday night at Wrigley didn’t feel like a historic night. It felt like a normal 8-4 win over a middling Braves club, the kind of game that gets buried by Thursday morning. But buried in the box score was a stat line that hadn’t been produced by two teammates in the same Cubs game since 1958, back when Ernie Banks was still the best player most Chicagoans had ever seen play shortstop.

Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman both did something Wednesday that only one other Cubs duo has managed in the modern record. Not since Walt Moryn and a since-forgotten teammate combined for extra-base production at that volume has the North Side seen anything like it. Numbers like this don’t happen by accident. They don’t happen without a very specific mix of plate discipline, power, and a defense that couldn’t get out of its own way.

This isn’t a recap. Recaps tell you what happened. What follows is a dig into why the numbers matter, how rare they actually are relative to modern offensive baselines, and what the archival record says about the last time Chicago saw anything comparable.

Breaking Down The Actual Numbers

Crow-Armstrong finished the night 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, and four RBI. Bregman went 3-for-4 with two extra-base hits of his own. Combined, the pair produced six extra-base hits in a single game, a total that, according to research published by Yahoo Sports, matches a feat last accomplished by Willie Mays and Daryl Spencer in 1958.

Numbers like that don’t sit in a vacuum. Historical stat-line comparisons of this kind require someone tracking decades of box scores with enough precision to catch the connection in the first place. Outlets built specifically around long-form statistical archiving are usually the ones making that call. Baseball America has built its reputation over decades doing exactly that kind of historical stat verification, the sort of granular record-keeping that turns ‘that was a good game’ into ‘that hasn’t happened in 68 years.’ It’s tedious work. Nobody gets a byline for double-checking a 1958 box score against a 2026 one. It’s still the only way these comparisons hold up under scrutiny.

Six extra-base hits between two hitters in one game sounds impressive on its face. Context matters more than the raw total, though. Bregman entered the game hitting a modest .247 over his previous fifteen games. Crow-Armstrong had been better, but not spectacular, sitting in the .260s with an OPS hovering just above league average. Neither player was running especially hot. That’s actually the more interesting part of the story.

Why This Kind Of Production Is So Rare Now

Modern baseball isn’t built for six-extra-base-hit nights between two hitters. The game has shifted so heavily toward pitching depth, and specifically bullpen usage, that sustained damage against a single pitching staff across nine innings has gotten harder to produce, not easier. Bullpens now average roughly four relievers a game across the league. Teams rotate arms specifically to avoid letting hitters see the same look twice.

Craig Counsell’s lineup construction played a role too. Batting Crow-Armstrong in the two-hole and Bregman in the three-spot put both hitters in a position to see the most pitches of anyone in the lineup over a full game, according to MLB.com’s recap of the contest. Volume matters. You can’t produce a historic stat line with three plate appearances. You need four, sometimes five, and Wednesday’s game ran long enough to give both hitters that fifth look.

There’s also the matter of what pitchers the Braves ran out there. Atlanta’s rotation has been dealing with injuries most of the summer, and Wednesday’s starter lasted only four innings before the bullpen took over. A tired staff facing a lineup that had both a burgeoning superstar and a proven championship-caliber bat in the middle of it is close to a worst-case matchup. The Cubs made them pay for it.

The Crow-Armstrong Development Arc Behind The Numbers

None of this happens if Crow-Armstrong hadn’t made the specific swing adjustments he’s made over the past calendar year. His exit velocity numbers have climbed steadily, and scouts who track his development have pointed to a mechanical change in his load that started showing results in spring training. ESPN’s coverage of his 2026 progression noted his emphasis on consistency as the missing piece from an otherwise talented rookie season, a theme that’s shown up repeatedly in his in-season interviews.

What’s easy to miss is how much of Crow-Armstrong’s growth has been shaped by watching Bregman up close. Bregman has three World Series appearances and a track record of grinding through slumps without changing his approach. That kind of veteran presence in a clubhouse doesn’t show up in a box score, but the Chicago Sun-Times has reported on the specific relationship between the two, describing how both players have talked openly about expecting to heat up together during a shared cold stretch earlier this season. Wednesday looks a lot like that prediction paying off at once.

Six weeks ago, neither player was hitting particularly well. Bregman’s average had dipped into the .230s in late July. Crow-Armstrong was striking out at a higher clip than his rookie season suggested he would. Then something clicked, gradually, and Wednesday was the loudest signal yet that both hitters found their timing again.

Putting The 1958 Comparison In Perspective

It’s worth being honest about what a 68-year gap actually means. Baseball has changed enormously since 1958. There was no divisional play. There were eight teams in the National League, not fifteen. Mays and Spencer were playing in a league without expansion, without the designated hitter debate, without modern bullpen usage patterns. Comparing box scores across eras always comes with an asterisk, even when the raw numbers line up cleanly.

Still, rarity is rarity. Whatever era you’re measuring against, two teammates combining for six extra-base hits in one game is not a common event. It happened in 1958. It happened again this week. The gap between those two nights says more about how offense has been suppressed by modern pitching depth than it does about Crow-Armstrong or Bregman individually. That doesn’t make the accomplishment less real.

The Cubs’ win moved them further into a stretch of the schedule where consistency matters more than any single highlight night. One historic box score doesn’t fix a rotation issue or a bullpen that’s been shaky in high leverage spots all year. But it does something for a clubhouse. It gives players something to point to when someone asks whether this roster has another gear.

FAQ: Crow-Armstrong, Bregman, And The 1958 Comparison

How rare is it for two teammates to combine for six extra-base hits in one game?

Extremely rare. It requires both hitters facing enough plate appearances, seeing enough quality pitches, and connecting on nearly every one. Modern bullpen usage makes sustained damage across nine innings harder to produce than it was in earlier eras of baseball.

Who were Willie Mays and Daryl Spencer, and why does their 1958 game matter here?

Mays and Spencer were teammates on the New York Giants who combined for a similarly rare extra-base-hit total in a single 1958 game. Their performance is the last verified instance of a comparable feat before Wednesday’s Cubs game matched it.

Has Pete Crow-Armstrong been trending toward this kind of breakout?

Yes. His exit velocity and contact quality have improved steadily since spring training, driven by a mechanical swing adjustment scouts have tracked all season. Wednesday’s performance reflects a longer developmental arc rather than a single hot night.

What role has Alex Bregman played in Crow-Armstrong’s development?

Bregman’s veteran presence and championship experience have reportedly shaped how Crow-Armstrong approaches slumps and plate discipline. Multiple Chicago beat reporters have described the two discussing their shared cold stretches and expecting to heat up together.

Does a historic single game change the Cubs’ outlook for the rest of the season?

Not on its own. Pitching depth and bullpen consistency remain bigger factors in playoff positioning. But a night like this gives a young roster proof of its offensive ceiling heading into the stretch run.

What This Means Going Forward

Wrigley Field has seen a lot of baseball since 1958, and most of it hasn’t been historic. That’s exactly why Wednesday matters. Crow-Armstrong is 22 years old and still figuring out what kind of hitter he’s going to be for the next decade. Bregman is proving he still has enough left in the tank to be the veteran anchor a young core needs. Neither fact was guaranteed heading into this season. Both got a little more certain this week.

The next time these two share a lineup card against a tired pitching staff, don’t be surprised if the numbers get loud again.

The post PCA & Bregman’s Historic Night: The Numbers Explained appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Chicago Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia has had a rollercoaster season. Last year’s leader in saves dealt with oblique and elbow issues much of the first half and hadn’t looked at himself since returning. However, last night’s outing against the Cincinnati Reds showcased vintage Palencia with his velocity consistently remaining near triple digits.

Daniel Palencia looked like his old self in a multi-inning appearance as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds

Holding onto a one run lead in the sixth inning, Craig Counsell turned to Daniel Palencia. He proceeded to wipe out Elly De La Cruz and Sal Steward on strikeouts and get Tyler Stephenson to ground out, all while throwing just 11 pitches. Palencia then returned for the seventh, where he again worked a 1-2-3 inning that included another strikeout.

Beyond the results and the hold, Palencia’s fastball velocity was perhaps the most encouraging part of his outing. He consistently hovered around triple digits, with five of his 13 fastballs reaching at least 100.0 mph. Overall, he averaged 99.5 mph on the pitch.

This actually was the second consecutive longer outing in which Palencia’s fastball velocity has trended upward. In his previous longer appearance last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he touched 100 mph once while averaging 99.8 mph across 10 fastballs.

After months of disappointment and questions, Palencia appears to be trending in the right direction at an important time for the Cubs. His velocity is climbing, his command was sharp against the Reds, and he is beginning to look more like the high-powered arm Chicago has relied on in the past.

With just a week left in the regular season, a few more outings like this would be encouraging to see before the Cubs seriously consider turning back to Palencia in higher-leverage situations, or potentially even giving him another opportunity to reclaim the closer role. If his velocity and command continue trending in this direction, he could put himself back in the mix at exactly the right time.

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Justin Steele has been quite vocal about his plans for the remainder of the 2026 season: He expects to be back with the Chicago Cubs. That goal comes despite undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2025 and dealing with a flexor strain during his recovery this summer.

Right now, though, Steele is pitching more like someone auditioning for a role, and he is not making Chicago’s looming decision any easier. On Friday night, he delivered two scoreless innings where he didn’t allow a hit, walked one, and struck out five.

In total he threw 33 pitches, 19 of which went for strikes. He generated five whiffs, with four coming on his slider and one on his fastball, which sat at 90.2 MPH.

Will Justin Steele get the Shelby Miller treatment from the Chicago Cubs?

Steele wasn’t the only Cubs pitcher attempting to make his way back this season following Tommy John surgery. Shelby Miller found himself in a similar situation, working his way through a lengthy recovery in hopes of contributing before the end of the 2026 season. However, Chicago recently shut Miller down, opting instead to have him focus on getting fully healthy and preparing for next year.

It’s possible Steele could ultimately face the same fate. While he has made it clear that he wants to return to the Cubs this season, the organization will have to weigh that desire against the bigger picture. As Craig Counsell pointed out “He’s (Steele) still new in this pitching season”; meaning even though he looks good on rehab, thrusting him into highly emotional and stressful playoff environment may not be what’s best.

For now, Steele’s continued progression will be worth watching closely. If the Cubs believe he can contribute without putting his long-term health at risk, a late-season return could remain on the table. But if they determine that there is little benefit in pushing him back for a handful of games, Chicago could follow the same approach it took with Miller and shift Steele’s focus toward being fully ready for the 2027 season.

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The Chicago Cubs have a real one in Pete Crow-Armstrong. To drive home that fact even further, Wednesday’s game at Wrigley Field against the Atlanta Braves showcased even more of the awesomeness exuding from the 24-year-old.

More News: Chicago Cubs could lose free-agent star to division rival

After a 3-for-4 game in an 8-4 win—posting 2 home runs, a triple, and 3 RBIs—Cubs manager Craig Counsell could only marvel and play the role of captivated observer.

“You’re shaking your head in amazement sometimes. In amazement,” Counsell told reporters after the game. “You spend your whole life in baseball, and you just don’t see this happen on the baseball field. You’re grateful to be a part of it. You’re grateful to see things like this.

“And you’re grateful that the fans get to see a season like this, because they’re going to tell their kids about it, they’re going to tell their grandkids about seasons like this.”

Crow-Armstrong winning the National League MVP award is a lock at this point. The stats he’s put up and the acclaim he’s garnered guarantee that. On the season, he’s hit 44 home runs and posted 105 RBIs. He’s 3 stolen bases away from being only the seventh major leaguer to post a 40-home run, 40-stolen base season. He’s also likely to finish the year with a 10+ WAR rating.

The fear of pitching to PCA

More News: Chicago Cubs dominant offense keeps World Series chatter alive

For much of the year, pitchers seem to have been lost when it comes to how to pitch the young star. “PCA” hits pretty much everything, pretty much wherever it come across. And with his newfound discerning eye and patience at the plate, the fear from opposing pitchers is very much real.

Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly recently talked about this in an interview with Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.

“Pitchers are scared to throw in,” Kelly said. “They don’t throw in very much at all, so he doesn’t get a ton of pitches that are hard-hard on the inner line. A lot of times, they miss out over, and that’s where a lot of the power is. And then you can’t bury a breaking ball low enough. Because if you make a mistake — and even if it’s a ball — we’ve seen what he can do to it.”

Crow-Armstrong’s hand speed/bat speed make him a hard-to-beat challenge for any pitcher. That same speed, combined with stellar reaction time, make him a devastating punisher of mistake pitches.

But basically, even a pitcher’s best pitch, impeccably placed, could find itself barreled hard—and maybe into the bleachers.

Maturity

His physical ability was never a question. Crow-Armstrong has been a well-regarded prospect since before he was a teen. The real turning point in his development has been his developing maturity at the plate and his ability to maintain focus on positive steps forward.

“He’s really done a great job of managing how much he swings and not going into a rabbit hole,” Kelly said. “He’s figured out that sometimes less is more.

“For him, it’s rhythm and timing and athleticism. It’s not like a swing mechanic where my hands have to be in this place, my front elbow has to be at this point. There’s a lot of rhythm to it, which he’s able to maintain.”

PCA has definitely been able to keep that balance between discipline and the free flow of natural ability. He’ll be looking to take his impact bat (and defense) to the playoffs and power up a pitching-deficient Cubs team counting on extreme firepower.

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The Chicago Cubs have several big decisions looming once this 2026 season officially comes to a wrap.

More News: Chicago Cubs dominant offense keeps World Series chatter alive

With more than half of the current active roster eligible for free agency, the team will have to decide who to keep and who to let go. They can’t—and won’t—hold on to everyone, but they also can’t go out and fill so many roster spots, despite the huge chunk of money coming off the books.

They also have to navigate the reality that the coming season—because of the anticipated labor dispute—may be cut drastically short.

Arguably, the Cubs’ biggest dilemma is in the outfield, where left fielder Ian Happ and right fielder Seiya Suzuki will both be free agency-eligible. The consensus thought right now is that the front office may work on keeping at least one of their corner outfielders, but that keeping both is highly unlikely. Most believe that Suzuki, because of his bigger bat and an improved defensive game, will be Chicago’s choice of the two.

What to do with Ian Happ

More News: Chicago Cubs facing Imanaga dilemma after pitch-tipping adjustment

The switch-hitting Happ, however, also has a lot of positives working for him. Aside from being a four-time Gold Glove winner, he averages about 20 home runs per season and is a league-average hitter. His steady dependability makes him a solid plug-and-play, low-maintenance everyday player. His off-the-field leadership qualities make him a clubhouse positive.

And all of this is why the Cubs will have competition for Happ’s services, just as they will have competition for Suzuki’s.

One ideal non-Cubs fit is with the Cincinnati Reds.

Competition from the Reds

Happ has strong ties with Cincinnati, established from his time at the University of Cincinnati and he’s maintained a relationship with the city ever since.

“I’ve really enjoyed Cincinnati. Going to school there, I have fond memories of the city and the place,” Happ recently told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “There’s people in that town that I really like. It’s a special place to me for a lot of reasons.

“How that impacts anything in the future, I don’t know, but it is a special place. And I think that they have a good group over there on both sides of the baseball, some really good young players.

“Plus they have Willie Harris and Tito (manager Terry Francona), and that coaching staff is great.”

“Historically, I have done well at Great American,” Happ added, after stating that he wouldn’t be talking about what might be happening after this season. “It’s a great place to play. Yeah, I’ve always enjoyed going back there.”

Happ has, indeed, excelled in Cincinnati, as noted by Cincinnati Examiner writer Gordon Wittenmyer:

“He’s hit more home runs (18) with a higher slugging percentage (.608) and higher OPS (1.002) at Great American Ball Park in his career than any other opponents’ park (along with a .394 on-base percentage).”

Reds manager Francona has recently made comments regarding the importance of considering defense in the push to add some much-needed offense to the team this offseason.

“You can chase offense, but that’s a hard way to play (if it sacrifices defense),” Francona told reporters.

“Unless you’re an elite offensive player,” he said, “you better be able to catch the ball.”

The Cubs are starting a weekend series with the Reds this Friday at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

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The Chicago Cubs continued their offensive success on Wednesday with an 8-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves. In the process, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman further etched their name into the history books.

With a six-run lead by the fifth inning, Chicago was able to cruise to victory despite a late Atlanta rally. Both Crow-Armstrong and Bregman hit an homerun to help the Cubs’ cause. The longball wasn’t the only way both players contributed Wednesday.

Crow-Armstrong hit another home run for good measure, adding a triple and driving in thee runs overall. Bregman accounted for four of Chicago’s runs, finishing a single away from the cycle. Both players were the catalyst for the Cubs and outscored the Braves on their own.

As they chase a deep playoff run, the franchise will be relying on Crow-Armstrong and Bregman. But it seems unlikely they’ll be able to match the same feat they hit on Wednesday.

Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman go back to 1958

Each player had at least three extra base hits, including a home run and triple. The MLB hasn’t seen that from a pair of teammates since 1958, via OpstaStats, h/t Ryan Young of Yahoo Sports.

“Crow-Armstrong and Bregman each hit a home run, each hit a triple and each had three extra-base hits in the 8-4 rout at Wrigley Field,” Young wrote. “That made them the first pair of MLB teammates to do that in the same game in nearly 70 years.”

“The last pair of teammates to pull off the feat was Willie Mays and Daryl Spencer for the San Francisco Giants in 1958, according to OptaStats,” he concluded.”

The Cubs have scored 817 runs on the season, 29 more than any other team in the league. They’ll be rallying behind that offense for as long as they can. At the forefront of that surge will remain two potent bats in Crow-Armstrong and Bregman.

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When the Chicago Cubs offense is clicking—like it was Wednesday night at Wrigley Field against the Atlanta Braves—it seems like the team is an unstoppable force and that all of their pitching deficiencies might be overcome by sheer force of hitting will.

More News: Chicago Cubs facing Imanaga dilemma after pitch-tipping adjustment

Wednesday night, for example, was a two-man hitting show with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman producing 7 of the team’s 8 runs in the 8-4 win. When these two, alone, are hot, one could easily see them heading into the playoffs and scoring some big blows against teams that would appear to be better than them on paper.

“You’re shaking your head in amazement sometimes. In amazement,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters, referring to Crow-Armstrong’s 2-home run, 1 triple, 3-RBI game. “You spend your whole life in baseball, and you just don’t see this happen on the baseball field. You’re grateful to be a part of it. You’re grateful to see things like this.

“And you’re grateful that the fans get to see a season like this, because they’re going to tell their kids about it, they’re going to tell their grandkids about seasons like this.”

Bregman, meanwhile, went 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, a double and 4 RBIs. He finished the day just a single shy of hitting for the cycle.

Beyond PCA and Bregman…

More News: Chicago Cubs: Counsell deflects blame amid bullpen apocalypse

The good news for a playoff-bound Cubs team is that, while PCA and Bregman are showing no signs of cooling down, Michael Busch, who was an absolute force in last season’s postseason run, is showing signs of coming to life. Right fielder Seiya Suzuki is due for a turnaround following a recent slump. Shortstop Dansby Swanson, a notoriously streaky hitter, will also be back in the lineup before the playoffs. Nico Hoerner became the spark plug for the Cubs’ offense late last season and could very well do the same this year.

Chicago has baseball’s most potent offense, even without some key contributors performing at top level right now. It’s scary to think of a Cubs offense firing on all cylinders just as it hits the playoffs.

World Series chatter, still

That’s why there’s still World Series chatter—both internally and externally—despite a bullpen that often appears to be in full-on collapse mode and a starting rotation that has suffered through inconsistencies all season.

“I don’t think we’ve ever lost sight of what our potential is. We still feel like we can absolutely be the last team standing,” outfielder Michael Conforto said after Wednesday’s game. “Regardless of what the standings say or what’s going on in the division, it doesn’t change the fact that we feel like we can win the rest of the series through the end of October.

“We have the experience and the mindset that that’s what it takes to be the last team standing: focus on winning the series the rest of the way. And then you get a ring at the end. I don’t think that confidence has ever been lost.”

“All the energy means good things. We understand that. We see it, we feel it, but we do have the ability to go out and focus on the job. That’s just kind of a unique thing for this group.”

It’s conventional baseball wisdom to point out that pitching wins championships. And that’s almost always the case. But this Cubs offense makes things happen and they’re hard to shut down because they can beat you in so many ways beyond the longball.

Time will tell what awaits the Cubs in the playoffs. But at this point, the team has no choice but to come in and bang away until

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The Chicago Cubs, amid a pitching dilemma centering around a struggling bullpen, finds itself facing another problem ahead of postseason play.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Counsell deflects blame amid bullpen apocalypse

The team has to decide on what to do with Shota Imanaga.

The Japanese lefty is on an excellent stretch of outings this month, posting a 2.00 ERA through 3 starts and 18 innings. Overall, Imanaga has the most innings of any Cubs starter (168.1) and the lowest ERA among pitchers with 12 or more starts (3.80).

On Wednesday, against the Atlanta Braves, the 32-year-old turned in a stellar performance, allowing 1 earned run through 6 innings while striking out 8.

With Chicago likely headed into the playoffs as a Wild Card team, a decision has to be made on whether Imanaga—who had fallen out of manager Craig Counsell’s circle of trust during last season’s playoffs—will be given another chance to prove himself in postseason play.

As of right now, most analysts are assuming a 3-man Wild Card series rotation of Clay Holmes, Matthew Boyd, and Kevin Gausman. But Imanaga is making a case for himself to be in that rotation, possibly instead of Gausman.

With his game not likely to translate well to a bullpen role, this could mean that he’d either be in the playoff rotation or not be on the postseason roster at all. Even if the Cubs decided on a 4-man playoff rotation after the Wild Card series, Imanaga will still find himself in competition with David Peterson, Javier Assad, and possibly Colin Rea for a rotation slot.

Tipping his pitches

More News: Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong, now a lock for MVP honors

One point in his favor, though, is an adjustment made to his delivery that nullifies an apparent tendency to tip pitches.

In the third inning of Wednesday’s game, pitching coach Tommy Hottovy made a mound visit to huddle with Imanaga and catcher Carson Kelly. Marquee Sports Network analyst Jim Deshaies wondered aloud whether the Cubs had noticed Imanaga tipping his pitches and the Braves picking up on that.

Matthew Trueblood of North Side Baseball went into further detail regarding the pitcher’s tendency:

“The issue came when Imanaga reached into his glove to grip the ball. Setting up in the stretch (with his body facing first base), Imanaga starts with his left hand dangling at his hip. Once he settles on a pitch selection, he brings his hands together right in front of his belt, then brings them up to his chest. That sequence contained a slight giveaway early in his outing Wednesday night. When he was preparing to throw the splitter, he tensed his arms a bit more as he brought the hands together, and the pause at the belt was slightly longer. When he was throwing his fastball or sweeper, that pause wasn’t there.”

Questions to be answered

The open questions here are whether he’s been doing this before this last game and, if so, how much has it affected his performance over the course of a season that has had its ups and downs.

With that problem apparently addressed, will Imanaga be more consistent from here on out? The Cubs will have just a couple more starts from him to make that determination—and then to decide what they want to do with him in the playoffs.

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The legend of Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to grow. On Wednesday night against Atlanta, Crow-Armstrong hit his 43rd and 44th home runs of the season. His first blast, a solo shot in the third inning, set another Chicago Cubs record. Crow-Armstrong passed Hall of Famer “Sweet Swinging” Billy Williams as the Cub with the most home runs in a season by a lefty.

GOOD IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. pic.twitter.com/Un2jL1GdgZ

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 17, 2026

Williams hit 42 homers back in 1970. Hitting homers at Wrigley as a lefty is not always easy with the winds off Lake Michigan. Outside of Kyle Schwarber in 2019, no Cubs lefty has been particularly close to his record before Crow-Armstrong this year. Anthony Rizzo’s career high was 32, a total he reached three times (2014, 2016, and 2017).

Crow-Armstrong has reached peak levels

It’s hard to put into words what Crow-Armstrong has accomplished this season. He still needs to steal three more bases to reach 40-40, but Wednesday he was too busy hitting homers and triples. Either way, the National League MVP race is over.

Even though he struck out in his final at bat in the eighth, his stepping up with the bases loaded in an 8-2 game to a roaring standing ovation was a moment to remember. The “PCA” and “MVP” chants rained down from the stands like it was a tie game in October. These were the ovations Sammy Sosa got in his prime, when it wasn’t about the game situation but all about the player.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has the most games in a single season in MLB history with 10+ total bases. pic.twitter.com/TeExzRBdS6

— Real App (@realapp) September 17, 2026

Absolutely no disrespect to the World Series heroes like Rizzo, Schwarber, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, or Willson Contreras, but there weren’t situations quite like this with them. The same could be said for other greats like Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, or Derek Lee (even in 2005). Sosa was in a historic home race, and Crow-Armstrong is breaking franchise and MLB records.

It’s a unique and historic situation, and people should revel in it. He does it all.

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The Chicago Cubs were fortunate that every other team in the hunt for a National League Wild Card spot also lost on Tuesday. Otherwise, the team’s frustrating 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves would’ve been a really tough blow.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Counsell deflects blame amid bullpen apocalypse

As things stand right now, the Cubs are a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies when it comes to the top NL Wild Card seed and, more important, the right to host the Wild Card series. The San Diego Padres, meanwhile, are just 1.5 games behind the Cubs with ten games to go in the regular season.

With the tight race in mind, this will be “all hands on deck” time for the Cubs, across the board.

For the offense, being present and productive is especially important considering the team’s pitching problems.

That’s why the return of Dansby Swanson is taking on an extra degree of importance.

The veteran shortstop went on the IL August 17 with a left oblique strain and was to begin his rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, with the goal being two games played and then a return to the main Cubs roster by this weekend for the Cincinnati Reds series.

Revised plans for Dansby Swanson

More News: Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong, now a lock for MVP honors

A rainout for the Iowa Cubs is forcing a change of plan.

“The weather’s not cooperating,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Tuesday.

“We’ll just have to make a decision and go from there,” Counsell said. “Obviously, the plans are going to get changed. He’s unlikely to play two games, so we’ll figure that out.”

Counsell hinted at the possibility of just one rehab game for Swanson before a return to the majors, but that decision could depend on what he sees in that one game.

Whatever the case, the Cubs would like to have Swanson and his elite glove back on the field for what will amount to a crucial stretch of games. They could also use his bat.

The importance of having Dansby

A notoriously streaky hitter, Swanson can carry the team when he’s hot and is still a significant longball threat, even when slumping.

In his absence, Nico Hoerner has moved over from second to shortstop with rookie Pedro Ramirez taking the second base spot more often than not. Hoerner has done a tremendous job filling in and Ramirez has been solid, but there’s just something extra special about the Swanson-Hoerner tandem.

“Shortstops that [hit 20 homers and drive in 80 runs in a season] and play Gold Glove defense don’t really just grow on trees, you know?” Hoerner said back in July. “He’s a star for a reason.”

Outfielder Michael Conforto shares Hoerner’s admiration of Swanson.

“Dansby’s been the same every single day,” Conforto told media, also back in July, amid a Swanson hot streak. “That’s what real leaders do. He’s that steady presence for us, and he deserves every bit of what’s coming to him because he works his butt off.”

On the season, Swanson is hitting just .216, but he has 18 home runs and 66 RBIs with an OPS of .704 through 119 games.

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The Chicago Cubs bullpen did it again. They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, inheriting a lead late in the game only to blow it in a most spectacularly awful way.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong, now a lock for MVP honors

On Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, the Cubs had a 3-0 lead heading into the sixth. A two-run home run off starter Kevin Gausman brought manager Craig Counsell out with the hook and the bullpen in for the great big fail.

Daniel Palencia, who came in to close out the sixth, was decent enough. But then Jacob Webb was brought in.

Webb gets blasted, again

More News: Chicago Cubs facing Phillies grab for prized free agent star

The veteran right-hander gave up the lead in the seventh which, ultimately, gave up the game. In two-thirds of an inning, Webb allowed two earned runs—via a two-run blast by Ozzie Albies—in yet another poor showing down this closing stretch of the season. Over his last 8 appearances, the 33-year-old has given up 11 earned runs and has allowed 4 home runs in 6.2 innings. During this stretch, where he’s posted an ugly 14.85 ERA, he also set a dubious MLB record for being the only pitcher to allow a game-tying or go-ahead homer with two outs in the ninth in three straight save opportunities since saves became official in 1969.

The recently activated Edward Cabrera, converted to a reliever after an injury and inconsistency-wracked debut season with the Cubs, would salt the earth behind Webb. He gave up a two-run home run in the ninth—the Braves’ third of the day—making sure the game was far out of reach, 6-3, against a tough Braves bullpen.

After the game, Counsell would seemingly make a concerted effort not to single out the bullpen for scorn.

“We got to put together 27 outs,” Counsell told reporters. “We got to score runs. I’m going to tell you that again: We got to score more runs. But, yeah, we got to get guys pitching well. And we got to have guys that we can count on. Multiple guys that we can count on. We’re not going to survive if we don’t have multiple guys we can count on.”

“We need everybody,” Counsell continued. “We need to talk about a lot of names every night to help us win games. It’s not just the bullpen. Everybody’s got responsibility.”

Nobody is coming to the rescue

And, yeah, all of that is true—to an extent.

The Cubs have the best offense in baseball and they’re also fielding the best defense in baseball. Their starting pitching hasn’t been great, but more often than not it’s been solid enough to put the team in a good spot to win a game. On Tuesday, for example, Gausman allowed two earned runs through 5.2 innings, which should’ve been good enough to get Chicago a win.

The scary part when it comes to the team’s postseason chances is that it looks like there won’t be a cavalry riding in to save the bullpen. Shelby Miller was just shut down for the season, Justin Steele may be right behind Miller. Meanwhile, Cabrera bombed out in his first stab at bullpen duty.

So, Chicago will ride or die with what they have right now in the pen. That doesn’t exactly instill confidence.

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It’s an exciting time to be a Chicago sports fan. While the Chicago Cubs and White Sox are both in playoff races, the Chicago Bears have kicked off their season. The Bears got the season off to a good start with a huge performance from Caleb Williams and the offense. While he’s doing that, his close friend Pete Crow-Armstrong is wrapping up an MVP season for the Cubs.

The two have developed a close relationship over the past few years which has also included Matas Buzelis , Connor Bedard and now, Caleb Wilson. That’s a lot of star power in a friend group and it has Chicago fans confident in future success for their teams.

But they have bigger plans as Crow-Armstrong recently said.

Pete Crow-Armstrong says he and Caleb Williams want to build something special

With the Cubs in a playoff push, every series matters here down the stretch. Following a big game on Monday in a win over the Atlanta Braves, Crow-Armstrong was asked about his friendship with Williams.

“It’s cool that people appreciate us being friends,” Crow-Armstrong said. “That’s where it all really stems from. We’ve definitely talked about what we want to build here together. That all stems from genuine appreciation of each other’s abilites and craft and how we make stuff happen. It’s agreed upon by all of us that we want to give people something to look forward to.”

Pete Crow-Armstrong on his friendship with Caleb Williams and the new era of Chicago sports: "We've definitely talked about what we want to build here … it's agreed upon by all of us that we want to give people something to look forward to." pic.twitter.com/JWUs5wy9aa

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) September 15, 2026

Crow-Armstrong and Williams were spotted supporting Bedard back in January, sitting on the glass for a Blackhawks game. Recently, it was PCA who received the support as  Williams, Wilson, Buzelis and Cole Bennett sat behind the Cubs dugout. They celebrated as PCA hit a big home run in the game.

Right now, it feels like a very cool era of Chicago Sports with young stars. Let’s hope they can turn that into some championships for the city.

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The Chicago Cubs are still battling for a playoff spot with eleven games left in the regular season.

As things stand right now, they are a half-game up on the Philadelphia Phillies at the top of the National League Wild Card standings and 1.5 games ahead of the San Diego Padres, who have the third Wild Card seed.

More News: Chicago Cubs facing Phillies grab for prized free agent star

If/when they do clinch a playoff berth, though, they will have to rely heavily on their top-rated offense to compensate for a pitching staff that has been inconsistent at best and horrible, at worst.

Leading the way for the Cubs offense, of course, is Pete Crow-Armstrong.

PCA’s all-time great season

More News: Chicago Cubs: How Bregman got his groove back

The 24-year-old center fielder is in the midst of a monster season that has reached historical heights. Various feats throughout the year have already pushed his name into the rarefied air reserved for some of the sport’s most legendary names.

His 2026 is already putting him near the top of all-time great Cubs seasons, giving him a legitimate shot at surpassing Rogers Hornsby’s fWAR of 11.0 in 1929. In Monday’s game against the Atlanta Braves, he hit home run number 42, tying him with Billy Williams for the franchise’s home run record from a left-handed hitter.

In terms of present tense greatness, PCA has become the most potent multi-faceted position player in the game, posting 42 home runs, 102 RBIs, and 37 stolen bases—all while playing Gold Glove-level center field.

As of this writing, he’s No. 1 in runs (112), No. 5 in hits (164), No. 6 in triples (7), No. 2 in home runs (42), No. 3 in RBI (102), No.5 in stolen bases (37), No. 11 in on base percentage (.374), No. 2 in slugging (.571), No. 2 in OPS (.945), and No. 1 in WAR (9.3).

M-V-Pete

He’s also being considered a lock to take home the NL MVP award.

Per Jesse Yomtov of USA Today:

“The Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong will certainly dethrone Shohei Ohtani for the NL MVP award, snapping Ohtani’s three-year reign that dates back to his final season with the Los Angeles Angels.

With Shohei Ohtani injured this summer, PCA has locked this up as he closes in on the seventh 40-40 season in MLB history. The 24-year-old is putting together one of the greatest years ever, with a 9.3 fWAR while leading the National League in slugging and OPS.”

During this past offseason, Crow-Armstrong inked a 6-year, $115 million contract extension that will keep him in Chicago through the 2032 season. Locked in and secure, he would then get to work on the finer points of his game.

His sudden patience and discipline at the plate is being credited for kicking the rest of his offensive game into high gear. A newfound discerning eye has resulted in him getting better pitches to hit—something he’s fully taken advantage of.

No matter what happens the rest of the way, 2026 will go down as an absolutely stellar season for the young talent—one that ranks among the very best of all-time.

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As the Chicago Cubs continue to move towards a playoff run, it’s looking more and more likely that they could meet National League Wild Card rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, at some point in the playoffs.

More News: Chicago Cubs: How Bregman got his groove back

But they could also be in competition with the Phillies after the postseason as well.

Philadelphia could be an aggressive suitor for Cubs free agent outfielder Seiya Suzuki.

The 32-year-old right fielder will be eligible for free agency at the end of this season and he’ll be looking for a deal considerably larger than the 5-year, $85 million contract given to him by the Cubs when he first broke into the majors in 2022.

Suzuki will be highly desired

More News: Chicago Cubs offer intriguing update on Justin Steele

In a weaker free agent market—and in the shadows of a looming labor dispute that could kill off a good chunk of the coming season—the Japanese star could find himself near the top of the list of attractive free agent position player buys.

For the Phillies, especially, the appeal of adding an established right-hand bat to their lefty-dominated lineup may nudge them towards spending in excess of Suzuki’s projected 4-year, $100 million asking price.

Brandon Glick of TBOH, a Phillies blog, recently laid out the case for Philadelphia grabbing Suzuki:

“Over the past four seasons, he’s hit .272/.353/.485 with a 131 wRC+, good for 13.3 fWAR. By that last metric, Suzuki has been the 12th-best outfielder in all of baseball in that span, only trailing a ridiculous list of names that includes Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Pete-Crow Armstrong, and other modern luminaries.

For good measure, he’s also suddenly morphed into a Gold Glove contender this year, providing the Cubs with +8 Fielding Run Value and +14 Defensive Runs Saved from right field. Add on the fact that he historically crushes left-handed pitching — his career wRC+ against southpaws is 139 — and is hitting .305/.359/.407 in 14 career games at Citizens Bank Park, and he basically looks like the perfect fit for the Phillies this offseason.

…He would immediately slot between Schwarber, Harper, and Trea Turner atop the lineup, finally giving the team the right-handed slugger they’ve spent years searching for.”

Putting the Cubs in a tough spot

An aggressive Phillies grab at Suzuki will put the Cubs in a tough position.

Chicago is already facing a dilemma with their two corner outfielders—Suzuki and left fielder Ian Happ—hitting the free agent market. Replacing both, whether in-house or from the outside, would be tough, so the general consensus is that they’ll work to re-sign one of their potentially outbound outfielders. Most assume that they’d choose Suzuki over Happ if they could only re-sign one.

But keeping Suzuki will cost them dearly, especially if the free-spending Phillies are aggressively pursuing him. It’s very likely that the Cubs could lose out on Suzuki in a long, drawn-out bidding war and also lose out on Happ as he signs elsewhere while the battle for Suzuki rages.

Then, Chicago would be in a truly tough spot, having to rely on Matt Shaw in left and Kevin Alcantara in right as their 2027 every day corner outfielders.

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Chicago is a city where sports are more than a weekend pastime. From packed stadiums to neighborhood bars filled with fans on game day, professional and college sports have become an important part of the city’s culture. Chicago’s major teams represent different traditions, generations, and communities, giving local sports fans plenty to follow throughout the year.

A City Built Around Its Teams

The Chicago Bears are one of the most recognizable symbols of Chicago sports. Football has a special place in the city’s sporting culture, and Bears games regularly bring fans together throughout the season. The team’s long history, passionate supporters, and famous defensive tradition have helped establish the Bears as an important part of Chicago’s identity.

Basketball is equally significant, particularly because of the legacy of the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls became a global sporting phenomenon during the Michael Jordan era, winning six NBA championships in the 1990s. That period introduced millions of people around the world to Chicago basketball and created a lasting connection between the team and the city. Even decades later, the Bulls remain one of the most recognizable names in professional basketball.

Baseball Traditions Run Deep

Chicago’s baseball culture is another major part of the city’s sporting landscape. The Chicago Cubs play at historic Wrigley Field, one of the most famous ballparks in American sports. The stadium’s distinctive atmosphere, ivy-covered outfield wall, and long history make attending a Cubs game an experience that goes beyond watching baseball.

On the other side of the city, the Chicago White Sox have their own dedicated following. Baseball season therefore gives Chicago fans two major teams to support, with rivalries and traditions adding another layer to the city’s sporting culture.

Hockey and Soccer Add More Variety

The Chicago Blackhawks have also played a major role in Chicago’s sports history. Their success, particularly during the team’s Stanley Cup-winning years, helped hockey attract an even wider audience in the city. United Center, shared with the Bulls, becomes a completely different environment when hockey fans fill the arena.

Soccer has also continued to grow in popularity across the United States, and Chicago is no exception. Chicago Fire FC provides local supporters with another professional team to follow, while youth and amateur soccer continue to expand throughout the region.

Following Chicago Sports in the Digital Age

Modern sports fans have more ways to follow their favorite teams than ever before. Live television, streaming platforms, social media, podcasts, statistics websites, and mobile applications allow supporters to stay informed throughout the day. Fans can follow injury updates, analyze player statistics, watch highlights, and discuss upcoming games without needing to be at the stadium.

The wider sports entertainment industry has also become increasingly digital. Fans interested in online sports entertainment may encounter international platforms and promotional offers, including searches for terms such as vulkan bet kod promocyjny, alongside traditional sports news and analysis. For many Chicago supporters, however, the main attraction remains the games themselves and the shared experience of following a hometown team.

The Future of Chicago Sports

Chicago’s sporting tradition shows no signs of disappearing. The city has passionate fan bases, historic venues, famous teams, and generations of supporters who pass their enthusiasm to younger family members. Whether it is football at Soldier Field, baseball at Wrigley Field, basketball and hockey at the United Center, or soccer elsewhere across the city, there is always another season to anticipate.

That variety is what makes Chicago such an important sports city. Winning seasons can create unforgettable celebrations, while difficult years often strengthen the loyalty of longtime supporters. For Chicago fans, sports are ultimately about more than results—they are about community, tradition, memories, and being part of something shared.

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As the final stretch of the regular season plays out, the Chicago Cubs know exactly where they stand. They’re looking to earn the top Wild Card spot, guaranteeing home-field advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs.

With a 10-game lead, the Milwaukee Brewers have essentially locked up another NL Central crown. But holding an 83-67 record, the Cubs sit in the top spot in the Wild Card race. While they share a record with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago holds the tiebreaker.

That remains true against the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, who occupy the two spots below the Phillies, as well. Essentially, the Cubs can control their destiny to the top Wild Card spot. But they know it won’t be easy.

For starting pitcher Matt Boyd, earning home-field advantage is a near must. He knows the benefits the Cubs get playing in front of their own fans at Wrigley Field.

Matthew Boyd itching for Cubs home-field advantage

The Cubs have nearly identical records home and away in 2026, with only three more wins at Wrigley Field. But come playoff time, Boyd understands the atmosphere in the air. He wants to hear the roar of the Chicago crowd when it matters most, via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

“Every time that you get to play at Wrigley, it’s a huge advantage,” Boyd said. “We have amazing fans. It’s an amazing atmosphere any day, but in the playoffs, it was an amazing opportunity that we had. The atmosphere, it was so fun to play in front of. Any baseball that we get to have here, it matters, in a good way. We want to have it.”

“It’s our job to play our best baseball,” he continued, “attack every facet of it, all aspects of our game. The opponent doesn’t matter. It’s the big leagues. Everybody’s good. You focus on you. Really, it’s a time to double down on that.”

While has been limited by injuries in 2026, the Cubs know Boyd is still a crucial contributor out of the rotation. In turn, the left-hander plans to do everything in his power to help Chicago reach new heights.

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As recently as July 10, many—if not most—Chicago Cubs fans were decrying the 5-year, $175 million contract given to third baseman Alex Bregman over the offseason. And, really, they weren’t wrong in their complaints.

More News: Chicago Cubs offer intriguing update on Justin Steele

The 32-year-old three-time All-Star was slashing .235/.333/.338 with an OPS of .670 and only 7 home runs. The numbers weren’t obscenely awful, but they sure didn’t represent the kind of impact a signing of that magnitude was supposed to generate.

Bregman, himself, was down on Bregman. The former Red Sox and Astros star poured over his old video, looking back as far as his early days in the minors to find some angle to build upon. The veteran is well-known as a perfectionist when it comes to his technique and is said to be downright obsessive in working on even the most minute of details.

But, obviously, this attention to detail has paid off.

Since July 11, Bregman is hitting .312 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs. His wRC+, which measures a hitter’s total offensive value and how many runs they create per plate appearance, is 180—14 points above anyone else’s in baseball.

How Breggy got his groove back

More News: Chicago Cubs: Cabrera gets make-or-break gut check in new bullpen role

The thing that clicked for Bregman was the change of mindset from hyper-focusing on the fails in the here and now to just working on positive change.

“Probably like June, I decided that I don’t really care what my numbers look like,” Bregman told The Athletic. “I care about fixing my mechanics for the rest of my career. I feel like that mentality allows you not to chase hitting seven homers in one at-bat. It allows you to take one at-bat at a time and try and win the next pitch, win the next at-bat.”

“The most important thing for me over the last few months has been the work in the cage,” Bregman added. “The attention to detail of, am I loading correctly? Am I making a good move to hit? I know that if I’m doing that before the game, I’m going to do it in a game.”

Bregman is killing it

On the year, the third baseman is already beyond the power numbers most reasonably expected from him. Currently at 25 homers, he’s one away from his 2024 total tally which, in turn, was the most he had since 2019. His 84 RBIs is the most he’s posted since 2023. And through the early struggles and these latest successes, he’s played elite-level defense at the hot corner and is living up to his rep as a clubhouse leader.

Where there was once loud lamenting from Cubs fandom over four more years of an aging Bregman on the roster, there’s now appreciation and optimism about the immediate future at third base.

The reality is that the Cubs might desperately need their MLB-best offense to get deep into the playoffs if the pitching doesn’t get consistent and stay consistent.

But regardless of what happens in the postseason, Bregman is turning out to be an even better version of himself than anticipated.

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The Chicago Cubs have been besieged by pitching injuries all season. In a lot of ways, it’s a minor miracle that the team didn’t just fold and give everyone a great big “wait ‘til next year.”

More News: Chicago Cubs: Cabrera gets make-or-break gut check in new bullpen role

Aside from losing emerging ace Cade Horton for the season after just two starts, the team has also suffered through two IL stints apiece from Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, and closer Daniel Palencia while watching injury shut down the seasons of breakthrough asset Ben Brown, Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, Riley Martin, and, at least indirectly, Hoby Milner.

Then, of course, you have to throw in the non-comeback of Justin Steele.

The 31-year-old, who had become Chicago’s ace and one of the most reliable starting pitchers in all of baseball, underwent elbow surgery in April of last year and was actually ahead of schedule with his rehab as the 2026 season began. There was some serious talk that the southpaw could be back at his rotation gig as early as late-May or mid-June.

But then Steele suffered a left elbow flexor strain in April, which saw him get shut down for an entire month. When he was allowed to pick up a ball again, the team was very cautious and deliberate with what he was allowed to do.

He’s now, however, three outings into a rehab assignment in Iowa and the unavoidable “when will he come back” talk has been flying.

The Cubs have already killed off any idea of Steele returning to the rotation this year, but they’ve left open the possibility of a bullpen role. And despite a 6.35 ERA through 5.2 innings in Triple-A, his return is a really appealing option for a bullpen that has given off a bad, near-collapse, vibe at various points in the late-season.

A Justin Steele update

More News: Chicago Cubs bullpen strikes back with noteworthy scoreless inning streak

Over the weekend, there was an update on just where Steele stands in his recovery.

Per Jared Wyllys of CHGO Sports:

“Counsell said Justin Steele will be in Chicago Sunday to throw a bullpen in front of the pitching coaches here.

From there, he’ll have at least one more outing with Triple-A Iowa.”

With two weeks left in the regular season, time is running out on the safe reintegration of the former ace. Even the most minor of setbacks would probably push his comeback to 2027.

In a perfect world…

As far back as the end of July, though, Steele said that he was throwing with no pain.

‘‘Obviously, I want to be back,’’ he told reporters at the time. ‘‘Front office, the pitching coaches, the team — everybody wants me back. But you don’t want to rush it to the point where you do get back into games and you’re one or two outings in and you start to feel the soreness starting to creep back in. Then you’re kind of turning the clock back at that point.’’

‘‘Everything feels good,’’ he added. ‘‘Fastball, sinker, slider, curveball — everything’s there.’’

In a perfect world, Steele gets sharp, bringing his bulldog attitude and field-level leadership to the Cubs bullpen in time for the playoffs and to assume the role of key lefty reliever. But as we’ve seen throughout this season, a perfect world is rarely in the cards.

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Last postseason, Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch made history by becoming the first player to hit two leadoff home runs in the same playoff series. He went deep in Games 1 and 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Division Series, finishing the postseason with four home runs overall as he homered once more against the Brewers had another long ball previously in the Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres.

At the time, that standout postseason performance perfectly encapsulated Busch’s 2025 season. The left-handed slugger belted 34 home runs, 25 doubles and 90 RBI while posting an impressive .866 OPS. Between that breakout regular season and his postseason heroics, expectations were understandably high heading into 2026.

Unfortunately for Busch, he hasn’t quite lived up to those expectations, particularly when it comes to power and run production. Through September 13, he has 19 home runs, 27 doubles and 76 RBI while posting a .742 OPS. His batting average has also dipped to .239 after hitting .261 a year ago. However, Busch has made up for some of that offensive decline by showing improved plate discipline, drawing 82 walks this season compared to just 56 in 2025.

That said, Busch has gotten off to a strong start in September, and rediscovering his power stroke at this point in the season could provide a major boost for the Cubs as they continue their push for the top Wild Card spot.

Chicago Cubs’ first baseman Michael Busch is off to a strong start in the month of September

Aside from May, when Busch posted a .300/.446/.510 slash line with four home runs, seven doubles and 24 RBI, he has struggled to produce a slugging percentage above .400 and match the offensive impact he provided a year ago. However, that narrative is beginning to change in September.

As of September 14, Busch owns a .463 slugging percentage through 12 games, with five extra-base hits and eight RBI. From September 8-12, he recorded at least one RBI in four consecutive games, including a three-RBI performance Friday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Already nearly matching his August RBI total of 10, Busch is on pace to put together his best month in quite some time.

A resurgence like that would be a welcome sight for the Cubs as the games carry more weight down the stretch. Furthermore, Busch has already shown that he can be a difference-maker when the lights are brightest, making a return to peak form especially valuable for the Cubs as they head toward the postseason.

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When the Chicago Cubs traded for Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins, the thought was that they’d be adding a powerhouse righty to their starting rotation, just as he was about to emerge as a real major league impact arm.

More News: Chicago Cubs bullpen strikes back with noteworthy scoreless inning streak

That’s why they were willing to give up their no. 1 prospect Owen Caissie, their no. 11 prospect Cristian Hernandez, and young infield talent Edgardo De Leon.

But things certainly haven’t gone as planned.

The 28-year-old Cabrera has had two stints on the IL—hamstring and finger blister—which have limited him to just 15 starts on the year. And even when healthy, his numbers have been bad. Through those 15 games, he’s posted a 5.68 ERA over 76 innings.

Cabrera’s move to the bullpen

More News: Chicago Cubs will re-sign two free agent stars, let everyone else walk, analyst says

In this latest return from the injured list, Cabrera is being moved to the bullpen. The move is equal parts due to the need for a power arm in a struggling bullpen and the concern that his blister issues are coming from longer outings. In the meantime, while the Cubs figure things out, they want to see what impact he can have in relief.

Lots of people—at least outside the organization—have soured on Cabrera, though. Some have questioned his mental toughness, especially when it comes to his most recent blister, which they feel was more of a crutch to justify poor performance rather than actual injury.

Whatever the case, Cabrera will remain part of the team. He’ll also definitely get a serious gut check in the bullpen.

Baptism by fire

“It’s a hard thing, being a reliever, especially this time of the year,” said Clay Holmes, who was an All-Star closer for the New York Yankees before converting to a starter. “You do your job 40 times, and it’s just expected. And then when you’re not perfect a couple times, it’s easy to feel like the world’s spinning and hear a lot of voices, people telling you this and that.

“It’s really tough to keep believing what you’re doing in those moments. There’s going to be some rough patches. You got to believe that things will level out.”

Manager Craig Counsell is anticipating some pains growing into a reliever role, especially as the Cubs make their way to postseason play.

“When you get to this time of year, we have to accept some discomfort,” Counsell told The Athletic. “Clayton Kershaw closed out a playoff series. That’s how it works. You have to do things that you’re not used to doing if you want to do great things.”

For what it’s worth, Cabrera is saying all the right things ahead of his bullpen debut.

“This is all new to me, but I’ll be out there ready for any situation,” Cabrera said via interpreter. “Whenever they call my name, I’m going to be ready for anything…

“I see this as another opportunity. My mentality is 100 percent positive.”

How well Cabrera responds to this late-season gut check could determine what the rest of his Cubs run will look like. If he falls here and now, there may be no getting up in Chicago.

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The Chicago Cubs are making their way to the postseason, but getting there hasn’t been as simple as previously expected.

More News: Chicago Cubs will re-sign two free agent stars, let everyone else walk, analyst says

The team is now one game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies in the pursuit of the top National League Wild Card spot. They’re also 2.5 games ahead of the San Diego Padres, who currently have the third Wild Card seed. With 13 games to go in the regular season, it’s safe to assume that the Cubs will land a spot somewhere in the playoffs—unless there’s some crazy collapse.

Very recently, it looked as though that crazy collapse was happening, courtesy of a bullpen that appeared to be in full-on collapse mode.

Panic was already setting in among the fans as nobody in the Cubs’ pen seemed to be able to close the doors. The struggles of co-closers Jacob Webb and Daniel Palencia were especially troubling as both seemed absolutely lost.

Cubs bullpen turnaround

More News: Chicago Cubs bullpen hopes: 4 long-shot fixes ahead of playoffs

But these last few games have given everyone hope that things can turn around—and that they, indeed, may be turning around.

Over the last three games, the Cubs bullpen has delivered 10.1 scoreless innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 walks sprinkled over that span.

Saturday’s 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates perfectly capped off this quality run.

The showing by Jacob Webb, who threw 1.1 scoreless, was an especially positive development.

The veteran righty had worked his way into becoming the team’s de facto closer after the injuries of Daniel Palencia, but posted a horrendous 17.34 ERA over his previous 6 outings and was making “I’m tired of letting the team down” statements to the media.

A high-stress Webb rebirth

The idea was to get Webb back into the mix and slowly boost his confidence ahead of the playoffs, but situations had forced manager Craig Counsell into using him in a high-stress moment in relief of Clay Holmes—with two outs in the sixth, the bases loaded, and the Pirates on the verge of breaking the game wide open.

Webb closed out the inning, however, and then went on to pitch a scoreless seventh.

“To be honest,” Counsell told reporters after the game, “it wasn’t the ideal situation I wanted to put him in for his next appearance. … I’m really happy for Jacob. He pitched great — earned it today.”

“What Webby did today was huge,” Holmes also said. “That was probably the game there. That gave us the chance to come back and win.”

After Webb, lefty Ryan Rolison pitched an inning and two-thirds and Ryan Zeferjahn closed things out with a third of an inning.

“The bullpen held it down,” Webb said. “That’s what we need to be doing every time. I know it doesn’t work like that, but I think we have a really good bullpen down there, and the guys are going to keep putting up zeros.”

All in all, Saturday was an example of how a healthy Cubs bullpen could look. Edward Cabrera joining the pen may or may not pan out, but the relief corps now has some forward momentum and is working with the confidence of having turned things around, at least for a few games.

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The Chicago Cubs were favored to win the NL Central Division this season and there was plenty of reason to think that would happen.

More News: Chicago Cubs bullpen hopes: 4 long-shot fixes ahead of playoffs

They had added three-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman via free agency. They traded for emerging powerhouse starter Edward Cabrera. They even rebuilt their bullpen, signing four veteran free agent relievers. They were also poised to get a full season from 24-year-old rotation phenom Cade Horton and benefit from the return of rehabbed ace Justin Steele.

Things, of course, didn’t go entirely as planned. Actually, of the above list of expected positives, only Bregman worked out.

As things currently stand, the Cubs are in a dogfight with the Philadelphia Phillies for the top NL Wild Card seed and are also fending off the advances of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks in the Wild Card race.

Half the roster, gone?

More News: Chicago Cubs: A team of extremes with some pressing issues to address

Then, no matter what happens the rest of this season, they’ll have some major roster decisions to make as a good chunk of the team will be eligible for free agency. Of the current active roster, more than half of the team could be gone by the start of the 2027 season.

Of those possible losses, there are several key veteran components—such as Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Carson Kelly, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, and Kevin Gausman, among others—that could be leaving.

Fielding a winning team will be tough with so many roster spots to fill, so it’s expected that the Chicago front office will try to re-sign at least a few of their potentially outbound assets.

Who will they keep?

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report is predicting that the Cubs will hold on to at least two of their stars—right fielder Seiya Suzuki and catcher Carson Kelly.

Per Reuter:

“The Cubs have some decisions to make with Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ both ticketed for free agency, along with catcher Carson Kelly’s mutual option. The safe bet right now is that they will retain one, but not both, of those outfielders, while also working out a new two-year pact to keep Kelly around.”

Finding two new every day corner outfielders on a team deep into “win now” mode would be tough. So, it’s widely expected that the Cubs will move to re-sign either Suzuki or Happ. But given that Suzuki is just far superior offensively—and that he’s become a spark plug for the team’s offense—the choice between the two outfielders should be fairly straightforward.

At catcher, the team is also facing the reality that they may not have a full-time replacement for Kelly at the moment. Miguel Amaya has shown himself to be capable and prospect Owen Ayers may be the next big thing in Cubs catching, but neither is an every day replacement for Kelly at this point.

The pitching decisions made by the front office will be even more interesting. There’s actually a case to be made for letting every free agent pitcher walk. After all, the team IS at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to pitching as a unit.

Clay Holmes would be the one guy the Cubs should try to lock in. The veteran has a $12 million player option for 2027, but is not expected to exercise it. He could command as much as $70-$93 million over 3 or 4 years—and that will be a significant risk taken on a 33-year-old. But Holmes’ groundball generation plays perfectly with the Cubs elite infield defense and offers a high possibility of success through his contract.

Targeting only Holmes would mean lots of new pitchers on the roster next season and, given the staff’s problems this year, that’s not a bad thing.

Whatever the case, interesting times are ahead.

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The Cubs activated Edward Cabrera Saturday morning and placed reliever Trent Thornton on the IL due to left ankle soreness. Cabrera had been rehabbing after suffering more blister issues. He’s pitched in only one MLB game since June 23rd in what’s been a disappointing, injury-riddled season for the fireballing righty.

The Cubs are activating Edward Cabrera and adding him to their bullpen ahead of today’s game against the Pirates at Wrigley Field. In the corresponding roster move, Trent Thornton was placed on the injured list with left ankle soreness.

— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) September 12, 2026

Cabrera is indeed heading to the bullpen, per The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney. The Cubs are desperately trying to find bullpen solutions in these final two weeks, and Cabrera has the high-octane type of stuff many relievers on the team lack. Now it’s all about execution.

Can Cabrera succeed in the bullpen?

As mentioned before, Cabrera has a high-90s fastball, along with off-speed and breaking stuff. Yet, the results haven’t been there this year; he sports a 5.68 ERA, 5.21 FIP, 5.10 xERA, 7.9 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, and 1.5 WHIP in 76 innings pitched. Not to mention a Hard Hit% in the 17th percentile and xBA of .267.

Nothing within those numbers looks promising. It’s not like he has a high ERA, but better peripherals with consistent weak contact and/or high strikeout numbers. The whiff rate is in the 61st percentile, which isn’t bad, but it has not resulted in finishing guys off (35th percentile strikeout rate). His groundball rate isn’t awful either (54th percentile), but not much above average.

The question is, could pitching out of the pen with a different approach help him lock in? Could he better channel the stuff that’s working and execute more efficiently with fewer pitches per appearance? It’s not necessarily easy to bet on, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility either. Starters moving the pen and executing is nothing baseball fans have not seen before.

Cabrera will be eased into the role. Unless something wild happens in a game, don’t expect him to be a top closer candidate. In the end, pick your poison. Cabrera, Shelby Miller, who is walking guys left and right in Iowa, Jaxon Wiggins, who sports a 7.02 ERA in the Minors, or Justin Steele, who has not pitched in nearly two years and is throwing high-80s/low-90s in his rehab starts.

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The Chicago Cubs’ bullpen struggles have been well-documented, especially over the last batch of games where the relief corps seems to be in full-on collapse mode.

More News: Chicago Cubs: A team of extremes with some pressing issues to address

Jacob Webb and Daniel Palencia, who were thought to be a solid closer platoon heading into the late regular season and playoffs, have been horrible since the end of August and don’t appear to be anywhere near getting back on track.

Below the late-inning duo, the rest of the bullpen has looked inconsistent at best and painfully porous at worst.

According to analyst Mike Petriello, the Cubs rank dead last in FanGraphs’ bullpen Wins Above Replacement (WAR) assessment. They’re also posting a collective ERA close to 4.00. As we’ve seen over the last stretch of games, this is a recipe for disaster in high-pressure games against teams competing doggedly for a playoff spot.

And while there’s nothing resembling a guaranteed cavalry riding in to save the day, Chicago is not without hope when it comes to turning this mess of a pen around.

Hope springs internal

More News: Chicago Cubs may need unlikely bullpen crutch as playoff spot is threatened

Right now, Iowa holds all of the pieces to a Cubs bullpen rebound.

Jordan Campbell of Cubbies Crib has focused on the rehabbing Shelby Miller and opining that the Cubs should bring him up and immediately install him as the team’s closer.

The 35-year-old Miller returned from his 2025 elbow surgery more quickly than anticipated and has already pitched in 12 games in the minors. Although his scary 9.35 ERA is a potential red flag, he’s struck out 17 batters in 9.2 total innings and would give the Cubs that swing-and-miss guy they need so desperately for the back-end of the bullpen.

Per Campbell:

“There’s no simple fix to what has plagued the Cubs’ bullpen this month. It’s reached the point where Craig Counsell should step out of his comfort zone, and that means immediately inserting Shelby Miller as the team’s closer, assuming he returns before the end of the regular season. He thrived as a closer for Arizona last season, and during his rehab assignment, he’s been missing bats frequently with a fastball in the upper-90s. No need to wait and see with Miller’s return, make him the closer.”

Another late-inning bat-misser is Gavin Hollowell, who’s also deep into a rehab assignment. The hard-throwing righty has looked sharp and, when his control is on-point, has closer-level stuff. This season with the big league Cubs, he’s posted a 2.51 ERA over 14.1 innings.

Steele, Cabrera

Then, there’s Justin Steele. The former rotation ace has made three rehab appearances in Iowa and has looked decent, considering that he hadn’t pitched competitively since early April of 2025 after elbow surgery and then a subsequent setback in his recovery this season.

Could a comeback-ready Steele slide into the bullpen and knock the chronically ineffective Caleb Thielbar off the roster as the team’s second lefty relief option? In an absolute best case scenario, that’s exactly what would happen—just in time for the playoffs.

And what about Edward Cabrera, whose disappointing 2026 as a starter could end in redemption if he can make a successful conversion to bullpen asset for the remainder of this season? Cabrera has the power stuff to make a big impact out of the pen, and the Cubs are working with him during his current Iowa rehab assignment. But two stints on the IL and widespread inconsistency when healthy cast some serious doubt.

So, the Cubs are not without bullpen turnaround options. Although, admittedly, those options are long shots at this point.

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Alex Bregman, who signed a five-year, $175 million deal with the Chicago Cubs last offseason, has erased memories of a slow start to his Cubs tenure with a massive second-half surge at the plate. Before the All-Star break, Bregman hit .241/.336/.359 with nine home runs and 15 doubles. In 51 games since, however, he has taken his production to another level, slashing .304/.378/.613 with 16 home runs and 15 doubles.

A 12-home-run August, highlighted by two three-homer games and another multi-homer performance, helped propel Bregman’s season total to 25 home runs, marking the fifth time in his career he has reached the milestone. That total currently ranks third most among third basemen in the National League, trailing only Max Muncy and Manny Machado, and is one reason why Bregman should be in the running for a silver slugger award at season end.

If Bregman becomes a finalist, which appears all but certain, and ultimately takes home the award, it would mark the second Silver Slugger of his career, with his first coming in 2019. It would also put him in rare company in Cubs history, as just the second third baseman in franchise history to win the award.

Alex Bregman is aiming to become just the second Chicago Cubs third baseman to win a Silver Slugger award

Since the Silver Slugger Award was introduced in 1980, the Cubs have had just one third baseman win it: Aramis Ramirez, who took home the award in 2011 after hitting 26 home runs and 35 doubles. Ramirez came close in 2004-06, posting at least 30 home runs and 30 doubles in each of those three seasons without winning the award.

That serves as a reminder of just how difficult it is to be recognized as the best hitter at a position in any given year. Still, Bregman has a strong case this season, leading the league in doubles with 30 and RBIs with 84 while also tying for the most walks with 71. Combined with his second-half home run surge, Bregman has arguably put together one of the strongest offensive resumes at his position. Ultimately, though, we’ll have to wait until the awards are announced in November to see if it is enough.

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The Chicago Cubs are attempting to officially clinch their spot in the postseason. Soon, they should be getting some extra lineup reinforcements to aid that push.

Shortstop Dansby Swanson is expected to be activated from the injured list for next weekend’s series against the Cincinnati Reds, via Patrick Mooney of the Athletic. He’ll first need to go through a rehab assignment, but Swanson should be back in the majors sooner rather than later.

“The Cubs are planning to activate Dansby Swanson (oblique) for next weekend’s series in Cincinnati, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said today at Wrigley Field, after the Gold Glove shortstop completes a short rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa,” Mooney wrote.

Swanson has been out since mid-August with a left oblique strain. The Cubs are going to be cautious, as the last thing they want is a setback. His rehab assignment will allow him to shake any rust off. But Chicago knows they’re a stronger contender with Swanson at shortstop.

Cubs soon welcoming Dansby Swanson back to lineup

Prior to suffering his oblique injury, Swanson hit .216 with 18 home runs, 66 RBIs and 17 stolen bases over his first 119 games of the season. While his batting average leaves a lot to be desired, Swanson is still top five on the team in home runs and RBIs, ranking third in stolen bases.

If he manages to reach the 20/20 plateau, it would be for the second year in a row. He has at least 15 home runs every season since 2021 with a minimum of 66 RBIs in that span. The Cubs will want him to find a bit more consistency at the plate, but his production has and will be crucial to their success. And that’s not even mentioning the defense he provides at shortstop.

Swanson will need to make it through his rehab assignment healthy. But if no setbacks occur, he’ll soon be a crucial part of Chicago’s playoff push once again.

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So, the Chicago Cubs have a serious problem.

They currently find themselves fielding an elite offensive and defensive team with a really poor pitching staff.

More News: Chicago Cubs may need unlikely bullpen crutch as playoff spot is threatened

As a matter of fact, according to analyst Mike Petriello of MLB.com, the Cubs are at the very top of the WAR category when it comes to position players, but at the bottom of the barrel with their pitchers.

Per Petriello:

“Great hitting. Historically good defense. What else is there?

Oh, right. Pitching. The Cubs currently rank 30th – a nicer way of saying “last” – of the 30 teams in the FanGraphs version of Wins Above Replacement (WAR). Yes, below the Rockies, and the A’s, and everyone else. (This isn’t a ‘rank the ERA’ exercise, as those pitching staffs who have allowed more runs have done so in worse ballparks and in front of much weaker defenses.)”

A team of extremes

More News: Chicago Cubs: As bullpen collapses, the blame game begins

The implications for this season are obvious. Once thought to be a shoo-in to earn a playoff berth, the postseason is no longer a guarantee as the bullpen has fully collapsed and the rotation fails to deliver consistent starts.

Where they once enjoyed a 6-game lead atop the NL Wild Card standings, they now find themselves one game behind the Philadelphia Phillies for that top seed and just 2.5 and 3 games ahead of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively. There’s a real chance that they could miss out on postseason play entirely as an injury-ravaged pitching staff finally performs down to logical expectations.

If the Cubs make the playoffs and hope to do anything there, they’ll need to rely entirely on their offense and defense. That much is pretty clear at this point.

But is such a thing possible?

Also, per Petriello:

“It’s a problem, is the point. But is it a fatal one? Has any team ever won like, well, this before? It’s somewhat difficult to compare historically, because for a half-century all teams needed to do was to beat seven other teams over six months and they were advanced immediately to the World Series. But we’ll do our best.

The Cubs, as we said, are first in position player WAR and last in pitching WAR. It’s not the first time it’s ever happened. But it would be only the third (2026 Cubs, 1930 Yankees, 1918 Reds) and those long-ago teams played in a 16-team, pre-integrated sport. Neither of those teams reached the World Series, anyway. So far as anything resembling ‘modern baseball’ goes, it would be the first time.”

What this means for the offseason

This ugly dynamic will also make for some interesting decisions in the offseason.

Pitchers Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and several others could be lost via free agency, as well as key position players like Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, and Carson Kelly.

A lot of money will be coming off the books, but there will also be a lot of roster spots to fill.

Will the front office focus on pitching and finally pull out some big contracts for prime, elite-level arms? We’ve been seeing what bargain hunting for pitching and betting on career (and health) turnarounds can look like when things don’t go perfectly. Could it be time to open up the bank book for some surer things?

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The Chicago Cubs are in the midst of a four-game losing streak and facing the suddenly real possibility that they could actually miss out on a playoff spot.

More News: Chicago Cubs: As bullpen collapses, the blame game begins

As things stand right now, they are a game behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the top National League Wild Card spot. They’re now also just 2.5 and 3 games ahead of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively, for the third Wild Card seed.

The Cubs are fielding a potent offense and an elite defense. Their starting pitching, while spotty, has enough heft to it for this last stretch of the regular season. The problem is that the bullpen is in full-on collapse mode—and it’s dragging the rest of the team down with it.

At this point, there’s almost nobody left in manager Craig Counsell’s circle of reliever trust and no real hope for bullpen fortification beyond the possible return of injured veterans Shelby Miller and Justin Steele and the bullpen conversion of starter Edward Cabrera.

Last name left in the circle of trust?

More News: Chicago Cubs closer makes history with unbearably awful stat

With that in mind, Chicago may have to lean on an unlikely crutch the rest of the season, and one of the few bullpen arms actually looking sharp—Aaron Civale.

The 31-year-old righty was a solid waiver acquisition for the Cubs last season and was acquired again this season on July 18 in a minor trade with the A’s. Since rejoining the North Siders, he’s posted a 1.27 ERA through 13 appearances and 28.1 innings pitched as mostly a mop-up guy.

But with the bullpen’s struggles and a corresponding slip down the standings, there’s an emergency “all hands on deck” vibe to the team right now.

Could the Cubs consider using the veteran in a more high-leverage capacity, something that would require shorter outings on more consecutive days?

Civale is down for whatever.

“I’ll take the mound whenever they ask me to,” Civale told The Athletic. “Whether it’s for as many outs as I can or a short outing. I’ve done both since I’ve been here.”

The shift would mean taking one of the few on-point positives from the bullpen and hoping he can adapt to a different game rhythm and different demands on his body.

Counsell’s juggling job

Counsell doesn’t appear to be all the willing to take this risk.

“We have a pitcher that’s pitching really effectively and in a really good role for him,” Counsell told media. “He’s getting important outs. The ability to get more than three outs is a valuable commodity. He’s in a good role right now. He’s been pitching in big innings, and he’s going to continue to.”

Counsell is most definitely not in a good place when it comes to his bullpen. With little in the way of a cavalry riding in to save the day, he’s stuck relying on what he has and maybe shuffling things around in hopes of catching a few breaks. Time will tell if his juggling job is going to be good enough.

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The Chicago Cubs selected infielder/outfielder Josiah Hartshorn in the sixth-round of the 2025 MLB Draft. And in short order, he has already become the best prospect in the organization.

The Cubs are now promoting Hartshorn to Double-A, via Chase Ford of MiLB Central. He is in the midst of a historic rise, via Greg Huss of Cubs on Deck, h/t Brett Taylor of BeacherNation.

“According to my research, he is the first Cubs high school draftee to reach Double-A in his first full professional season since Dyain Frazier in 1970, Huss wrote.

Still just 19-years-old, Hartshorn still has a long journey to the major leagues. This is still his first professional season. But if this is what the first baseman/outfielder’s debut looks like, the Cubs are salivating over his future.

Now, Chicago will see how he stacks up against Double-A competition. If it looks anything like his first 122 games, Hartshorn will only continue to soar through the minor leagues.

Josiah Hartshorn making case as future Chicago Cubs star

As it stands, Hartshorn ranks as the top prospect in Chicago’s organization and the 39th-best in all of baseball, via MLB Pipeline. Needless to say, the Cubs are looking for him to play a vital role in their future.

Over those 122 games, Hartshorn hit .289 with 23 home runs, 110 home runs and 16 stolen bases. His power stroke is clear and has put him on the map. If he is able to put up the same performance against Double-A pitching, his status as a top prospect would only be solidified further.

For now, the Cubs are focused on clinching their spot in the postseason. But eventually, they will need to take a hard look at their future. Chicago will at least remain confident knowing Hartshorn’s bat is in the pipeline.

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The Chicago Cubs have navigated much of the 2026 season without Daniel Palencia, who led the team in saves a season ago. Oblique and elbow issues limited him to just 19 appearances before the All-Star break, but since returning he hasn’t been all that inspiring on the mound, leading manager Craig Counsell to continue to use him in lower leverage spots.

Since being activated on August 21, Palencia has pitched in seven games, allowing runs to cross in four. While two out of his last three have been scoreless, his inability to get swings and misses over his last 60 pitches has stood out as a red flag. As highlighted below by Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation, he’s generated just one whiff over his last three outings.

Daniel Palencia got 1 whiff on 19 pitches last night. Last time out, 0 whiffs on 16 pitches. Before that? 0 on 13 pitches. Before that? 0 on 12 pitches. You’re reading that correctly. Palencia has gotten just 1 single swing & miss over his last 60 pitches.

LOUD CONCERN SOUNDS.

— Brett Taylor (@Brett_A_Taylor) September 10, 2026

What is wrong with Chicago Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia?

A few weeks ago, Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy discussed Palencia’s struggles, attributing his poor outings to two primary issues: being mechanically out of sync and lacking confidence. Both are crucial elements for any pitcher expected to thrive in high-leverage situations.

Furthermore, Palencia’s velocity has dipped below his 99.2 MPH season average in each of those outings. He averaged 97.9 MPH on September 2, 98.2 MPH against the Marlins, and then fell to 97.8 MPH against the Brewers. At this point in the season, particularly after dealing with a pair of injuries, that is not the trend the Cubs want to see. The diminished velocity could also help explain why his fastball has struggled to generate swings and misses.

Ultimately, Palencia’s recent struggles over his last 60 pitches should have the alarm bells sounding. The combination of diminished velocity, mechanical inconsistency and wavering confidence has taken away some of the traits that made him such a dangerous high-leverage option for the Cubs year ago.

However, with Chicago’s bullpen facing increased scrutiny following several recent losses, the Cubs don’t have many obvious alternatives. The most likely options would be to option Palencia in favor of Shelby Miller or, perhaps, Justin Steele, should either make an unlikely return to the big leagues this season after both underwent Tommy John surgery in 2025.

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The Chicago Cubs are in the midst of a four-game losing streak after being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers. Chicago knows they can’t be dropping games in the midst of their playoff push. But the Cubs aren’t pushing the panic button just yet.

At 81-66, the franchise holds a 2.5 game advantage over the competition in the Wild Card race. Outside of the Arizona Diamondbacks, every team currently not in the playoff picture is at least five games out. Chicago does have a bit of a buffer.

Outfielder Ian Happ understands the Cubs control their own playoff destiny. He and his teammates are focusing on what they can control and putting their best foot forward, via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

“Not the series we wanted to have here,” Happ said. “But we’ve put ourselves in a position where we kind of control our own destiny. Our goal is to play playoff baseball, no matter how that shakes out.”

The Cubs next series will come against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who remain in the Wild Card mix. How Chicago responds to their recent sweep will be telling of their playoff potential.

Chicago Cubs focusing on what they can control 

In the third loss of the sweep, Kevin Gausman lasted just four innings, allowing eight hits and six earned running. It admittedly wasn’t the start he or Chicago wanted him to have. But Gausman isn’t going sulk and is instead solely focused for his next opportunity on the mound.

“We don’t have time to sulk,” Gausman said. “We’ve just got to keep our head down and keep playing really good baseball. And just continue to be confident.”

“I just need to pitch better. It comes back to execution,” he continued. “I can’t throw lazy changeups in the zone. Those are always going to get beat. I just need to be better.”

As for manager Craig Counsell, he is doing his best to avoid watching the standings. He knows the team he has is capable of competing. The Cubs re-finding their footing as soon as possible remains Counsell’s highest priority.

“Look, again, our job is to win games,” Counsell said before Wednesday’s game. “That’s what we can control. That’s what we can do. [The Wild Card race] doesn’t affect any decisions. The decisions are happening during the game here. What’s going on around the league doesn’t help us. Do we know the standings? I know the standings, yeah.”

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Following a three-game sweep by the Brewers, the Chicago Cubs trail Milwaukee by 10 games in the NL Central. Luckily, they sit with a 2.5-game lead in the NL wild card standings, and if all goes well, they should be playing October baseball.

However, the Cubs have a major issue. The bullpen has been an atrocity as of late.

Cubs relievers have a 3.98 ERA for the season, and the bullpen has slipped to a 4.40 ERA over the last 31 days. They’ve blown multiple leads over the past few weeks, in games where they should’ve won.

Most recently, a few games ago, the Cubs surrendered another lead in the 9th. Closer Jacob Webb gave up a 2-run blast to Jackson Chourio in the ninth inning, which tied the game. The Brewers went on to win the game in extras, sparking another conversation about this team’s inability to close games.

Webb has been particularly frustrating as of late. He has surrendered either a game-tying or game-ending home run in each of his last three save opportunities. This cannot be a trend as the playoffs near, if the Cubs want any chance of getting hot and making a World Series run.

With that being said, the Cubs may need to turn to a familiar face in Edward Cabrera. The 28-year-old flamethrower could provide a spark for this bullpen and should return from the IL soon.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell plans to use Edward Cabrera in the bullpen when he returns

Manager Craig Counsell has surely let his thoughts on the bullpen be heard, and a change in performance is needed.

They might need a change in personnel as well. Luckily, there is some hope down in Triple-A Iowa, as pitcher Edward Cabrera is set to return from his rehab stint (blister) very soon.

Counsell has said previously that Cabrera will be moved to the bullpen once he is brought back to the majors.

During a recent rehab appearance, Cabrera lit up the radar gun, throwing gas out of the bullpen.

Edward Cabrera bringing the heat out of the pen!
Strike 1: 99 MPH
Strike 2: 100 MPH
Strike 3: 99 MPH pic.twitter.com/TMUKgYLH2r

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) September 9, 2026

This transition to a relief role could help manage recurring blister issues and limit stress on his finger. This season, Cabrera has struggled mightily with injuries and performance in general (5.68 ERA).

Even with his last appearance being a rough one (0.2 IP, 3H, 4ER, 2BB, K), Cabrera will provide swing-and-miss capability, which is desperately needed in this bullpen.

He’ll need to bounce back in a big way to make an impact on this Cubs bullpen.

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A year ago, Craig Counsell had the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen firing on all cylinders. The relief corps posted a 3.78 ERA and converted 44 of 64 save opportunities, a 69% success rate. This season, however, the bullpen has taken a noticeable step backward, carrying a 4.00 ERA while converting just 32 of 58 save opportunities, a 55% rate.

It’s a drastic decline in production and reliability from a unit that looked far more dependable a year ago. The lack of a true go-to closer has played a role. In 2025, Daniel Palencia led the Cubs with 22 saves in 25 opportunities, while this season Jacob Webb has taken the team lead but has converted just 9 of 16 chances. Even more concerning, Webb has surrendered either a game-tying or game-ending home run in each of his last three save opportunities.

Further compounding the problem has been the lack of impact from several offseason additions. Hunter Harvey has appeared in just three innings, Hoby Milner was designated for assignment, and Phil Maton has regressed amid injury issues. Then there’s Webb, who has repeatedly struggled to deliver in the biggest moments, leaving the Cubs without a reliable ninth inning option.

With all that in mind, the Cubs once again watched a late lead slip away against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. Webb surrendered a game-tying two-run home run to Jackson Chourio in the ninth inning, and Luis Lara delivered the walk-off hit an inning later. Following the loss, Counsell addressed the bullpen’s struggles and the challenges he’s facing.

Craig Counsell’s response to the Chicago Cubs latest ninth inning bullpen disaster speaks volumes to season long issue

A day after facing criticism for leaving Matthew Boyd in too long against the Brewers, Counsell once again watched his bullpen unravel in a familiar scene, as highlighted above. Asked about the latest collapse, Counsell put the responsibility squarely on his relievers.

“This is how you’ve got to win games in the bullpen,” Counsell said. “You’ve got to get outs. It’s our job. They’re going to do it. … We’ve got [nine] guys down there. They’re the guys we’re going to rely on. We’ve got to figure it out.”

While Counsell’s words may sound like a broken record given the Cubs’ bullpen struggles all season, he has reached a point where he simply has no other options. There is no trade deadline left to bring in reinforcements, meaning the relievers currently on the roster have to find a way to deliver.

So far, that hasn’t happened consistently. Still, that doesn’t mean this group can’t turn things around in the coming weeks, especially when the postseason arrives and the Cubs’ season is on the line.

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The Chicago Cubs bullpen gift-wrapped another win for an opposing team on Tuesday when their bullpen once again collapsed in the late innings.

More News: Chicago Cubs closer makes history with unbearably awful stat

The team’s 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field was the second straight 4-3 loss to the division rivals and the second straight time the bullpen let a lead slip away in the eighth or ninth innings.

With yet another frustrating, totally unnecessary loss in the books, things are starting to look bleak—beyond the morale-crushing nature of the bullpen fails.

As things sit right now, the Cubs are a half-game behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot in the National League Wild Card standings. After this recent three-game losing streak, they are also just three games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot and three-and-a-half games ahead of the San Diego Padres.

With sixteen games left in the season and the bullpen in full-on collapse mode, it’s still quite possible that the Cubs could find themselves eliminated from postseason play entirely—after being regarded as a virtual shoo-in to make the playoffs as recently as a week ago.

Fingers pointed

More News: Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell slammed for Matthew Boyd miscalculation

And with that realization starting to sink in, frustration has started to boil over and fingers are starting to be pointed.

Manager Craig Counsell has taken his fair share of the blame for the bullpen woes, specifically. But at some point one has to consider that he can only do so much with the pitchers he has at his disposal.

So, the largest target for blame above Counsell is the man in charge of acquiring those pitchers—Cubs president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer.

Mark Powell of Fansided recently took the biggest whack at the Cubs exec:

“When assigning blame for the Cubs bullpen woes, you have to start at the very top, and that is Jed Hoyer. While the Cubs tried to build their bullpen from scratch — and devoted plenty of financial resources to it in the process — Hoyer bet on the wrong horses. Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, and Hoby Milner, all signed as free agents, haven’t delivered. Palencia has been hurt for significant portions of the season and only just returned. Javier Assad, Aaron Civale and Colin Rea are all former starting pitchers who aren’t used to this role.

This is why the Cubs traded for Ryan Zeferjahn at the deadline, but even he hasn’t been what was promised, as the right-hander has a 6.23 ERA since he was acquired by Hoyer.”

The buck stops at the top?

This won’t be the first time Hoyer catches flak for his inability to acquire quality pitching, especially for a bullpen that pretty much had to be entirely rebuilt during the offseason. And there’s definitely a good argument to make that the buck stops at the very top.

But there’s also a good argument to make for just wild bad luck overtaking the team via injury and the subsequent need for pitchers to assume roles that are just not in their physical or mental makeup.

Whatever the case, though, the focus has to be on stopping the bullpen-related freefall and then crossing finger extra-tight that the relief corps finds its mojo in the playoffs.

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What can one say about the general awfulness of the Chicago Cubs bullpen that hasn’t already been said?

More News: Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell slammed for Matthew Boyd miscalculation

On Tuesday, the Cubs once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when—once again—the bullpen failed to keep a late-inning lead. At this point, it doesn’t take a genius-level baseball IQ to see that the team’s relief corps is in full-on collapse mode.

Jacob Webb, at this point, is the poster boy for the fall of the Cubs bullpen.

In his most recent outing, the veteran righty entered the game in the bottom of the ninth with his team up 3-1 and then proceeded to give up two runs, sending the game into extra innings where Caleb Thielbar tipped in the fail by allowing the walkoff winning run in the tenth.

Webb’s historical awfulness

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With this latest appearance, Webb has set a dubious record.

Per OptaSTATS:

He’s the only MLB pitcher to allow a game-tying or go-ahead HR w/ 2 outs in 9th in 3 straight save opps (since saves became official in 1969).

Jacob Webb’s last 3 save chances:

2-run walkoff HR (2 outs in 9th)
2-run walkoff HR (2 outs in 9th)
2-run game-tying HR (2 outs in 9th)

That’s certainly a nasty bit of history for the 33-year-old who was riding into the second half of August as a surprisingly rock-solid asset amid a wave of injuries that had hobbled the pitching staff as a whole. Earning a spot as the Cubs’ de facto closer, he was sporting a 2.21 ERA as recently as August 21 with 9 saves.

But since August 22, it’s been an entirely different story.

In his six outings since then, he’s blown 3 saves and has posted an ugly 17.34 ERA. He’s allowed 3 home runs in 4.2 innings during this recent stretch.

“I’m tired of letting the team down, to be completely honest,” Webb told reporters after the game. “It’s pretty tough to watch every time I give up a homer. … It’s piss poor.”

Playoff hopes are taking a hit

Webb’s blunt self-inventory provides little solace to a team—and its fans—watching their playoff hopes starting to slip away in real time. As of this writing, the Cubs are a half-game behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the top National League Wild Card spot. More alarming, though, is the fact that they are now only three and three-and-a-half games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, respectively, in the Wild Card standings.

It’s quite possible that this bullpen collapse will be the death of the Cubs’ postseason hopes.

And worst of all, there just don’t seem to be any answers—beyond hopes and prayers that Shelby Miller and Justin Steele can get strong enough to carry some of the bullpen load and that the thus far unreliable Edward Cabrera can make the quick transition from starter to relief ace.

“The answers are not there,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters. “These are our guys. They’re going to get the outs. You go through tough stretches in the season. It hurts when it happens right now. It hurts when it happens right at the end of the game with two outs, it hurts a little bit worse.”

“It tests ya,” Counsell added. “You have to use the test, you have to use the hurt to get you to a better place. And it can. When you get knocked down and you can get back up, that’s an even better feeling.”

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The pitching woes for the Chicago Cubs struck again on Tuesday night in Milwaukee. Chicago held a lead in a game against the Brewers for the fourth time in the last six meetings between the two teams spanning over 10 days, and they once blew the lead and lost the game.

After the Cubs grabbed a 3-1 lead in the ninth inning, they turned to Jacob Webb to seal the game and get a big win in Milwaukee.

While Webb got the first two batters out, he allowed a pinch-hit single to Christian Yelich and then watched Jackson Chourio tie the game with a long two-run home run. Milwaukee then walked it off in the 10th inning to secure the win.

It was heartbreak again for the Cubs as they watched Milwaukee reach 90 wins on the year, extend the lead in the NL Central and beat the Cubs for the fourth time in the past six games, all come back wins. After the game, Webb got brutally honest about his performance.

Jacob Webb’s ‘piss poor’ performance

The Cubs bullpen has been a struggle all season long and more recently, it’s rearing its ugly head again. For manager Craig Counsell, all he can do is just trust his guys as this is the bullpen that Jed Hoyer built.

But for Webb, he knows he has to do better.

“I’m tired of letting the team down, to be completely honest,” Webb said after the game. “It’s pretty tough to watch every time I give up a homer. … It’s piss poor.”

The Cubs bullpen as a whole can be considered ‘piss poor’ lately. Since mid-August, the Cubs bullpen has given up 16 home runs and is 23rd in ERA. They have been hit by injuries but inconsistent performances even from trade deadline pickups have hurt them.

Counsell can only pitch who he has available to him.

“We made a bad pitch with a man on base,” Counsell said of Chourio’s home run. “It’s the one thing that can’t happen there. Unfortunately, it happened.

“We have eight guys down there. Those are the guys we’re going to rely on. We have to figure it out.”

If the Cubs want any success at all in the postseason, they need to figure out a way to fix these bullpen issues.

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Kevin Gausman was on the Toronto Blue Jays team plane when he found out he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He shared an emotional moment with manager John Schneider once he was made aware of the news.

Gausman was in his fifth season with the Blue Jays, crafting his legacy with the franchise. At the same time, he and his family had grown accustomed to what Toronto had offered. Having to move their lives, and Gausman’s playing career, was a difficult task for all involved.

However, it didn’t take long for the right-hander to find his footing in Chicago. One series with the Cubs, and Gausman realized the opportunity that was in front of him.

Chicago Cubs sweep changes Kevin Gausman’s course

From Aug. 3-5, the Cubs hosted the defending Los Angeles Dodgers. They came away with a sweep, proving they could hang with the best. While Gausman didn’t pitch during that series, he clearly saw what Chicago was all about, via Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic.

“Every single game was absolutely electric,” Gausman said. “It took me like two days to kind of flip it from being sad to being excited, to be like, ‘I have an opportunity to be part of something special here.’”

Gausman has made six starts since joining the Cubs, sporting a 4-1 record. The righty holds a 4.37 ERA and a 38/8 K/BB ratio. While there have been a few blow up outings, Gausman is coming off a gem. In a 2-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, he threw seven innings of one-run baseball, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out nine.

Set to be a free agent after the season, Gausman will have to make a crucial decision on where he wants t continue his career if he keeps playing. If the Cubs are able to go on a deep playoff run, perhaps they convince the right-hander to run it back.

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September has arrived with the Cubs still firmly in the postseason race. Chicago entered September 4 at 79-62, eight games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central but five games above the Wild Card cutoff, leaving plenty at stake as the schedule starts shrinking.

Chicago’s final stretch will require more than one source of production. Defense, dependable pitching, baserunning and positional flexibility all matter in close games. These five players contribute across those areas as Chicago approaches the final weeks.

1. Crow-Armstrong Covers Ground in Center

Pete Crow-Armstrong brings a defensive dimension that changes innings before the damage appears on a scoreboard. His speed and range make center field feel smaller for opposing hitters, and the numbers reinforce that reputation. He tied for the MLB lead with 24 Outs Above Average in 2025, made 19 five-star catches and won his first Gold Glove in center field.

That defensive presence also provides useful context when examining MLB betting odds during the closing weeks. Defensive quality forms part of the broader matchup picture, particularly when a difficult catch prevents runners from advancing or preserves a narrow advantage.

Those moments become more noticeable in close September games. Crow-Armstrong can cover gaps, support the corner outfielders and give pitchers greater confidence when contact travels into spacious areas of the park.

His impact may consequently arrive without dominating offensive statistics. When margins become increasingly narrow, preventing an extra-base hit or cutting down an advancing runner can quietly influence an entire contest.

2. Hoerner Keeps the Offense Moving

Nico Hoerner offers Chicago a different form of consistency. His contact skills, low strikeout rate, baserunning and strong defense give the lineup a dependable presence throughout the batting order.

That reliability becomes particularly useful during the final weeks. September games can turn on isolated opportunities, making contact and baserunning increasingly important when an offense faces quality starting pitching or specialized relievers capable of limiting sustained rallies.

Hoerner does not need to carry the offense through power to influence those situations. Putting the ball in play, advancing on the bases and creating opportunities for subsequent hitters gives Chicago several ways to construct runs.

That makes him a stabilizing presence rather than an all-or-nothing threat. Lineups inevitably fluctuate during a long season, but Hoerner’s broader skill set provides Chicago with a consistent foundation when offensive rhythm becomes difficult to maintain.

3. Imanaga Carries a Heavy Rotation Load

Shota Imanaga enters September carrying one of the heaviest workloads on Chicago’s pitching staff. Through his first 27 starts, the left-hander has worked 150 1/3 innings, giving the Cubs substantial volume during a season in which maintaining rotation continuity has required constant attention.

The significance of those innings grows as the calendar advances. Chicago needs starters capable of working deep enough to prevent every close game from placing excessive demands on the bullpen, particularly when consecutive important series compress opportunities for recovery.

Imanaga’s task is therefore about consistency as much as individual results. Taking the ball on schedule and navigating meaningful innings gives the Cubs something predictable around which the rest of their pitching plans can be constructed.

Imanaga’s availability and innings volume carry particular value during the final push. If he continues absorbing a significant workload, Chicago gains greater flexibility when arranging the remainder of the rotation and managing relief responsibilities around demanding late-season matchups.

4. Holmes Brings Stability to the Staff

Clay Holmes has quickly become an important part of Chicago’s late-season pitching picture. After joining the Cubs, the veteran transitioned into their rotation and immediately demonstrated his ability to provide controlled innings, including taking a perfect game into the sixth during an August start at Wrigley Field.

His recent consistency has strengthened that impression. Holmes recorded a 1.55 ERA across five starts and 29 innings over a recent month-long stretch, providing Chicago with dependable production at a point when stability carries particular importance.

That matters beyond his individual appearances. Effective starts reduce the number of innings the bullpen needs to cover, an important consideration during a demanding late-season schedule. Fans following the wider playoff picture can also find matchup coverage and MLB articles throughout the closing weeks.

Holmes therefore offers a different storyline from Imanaga’s season-long workload. His importance rests in what he has added during the closing phase. Continued dependable outings could give Chicago another reliable option as each remaining series assumes greater significance.

5. Shaw Grows Into a Flexible Role

Matt Shaw’s 2026 season has required adaptation. After spending much of his rookie year at third base, offseason changes pushed him toward a utility role, leading the Cubs to expand his responsibilities across both the infield and outfield during Spring Training.

That versatility has remained central to his season, with Shaw appearing at numerous positions despite time on the injured list. Chicago nevertheless retained the flexibility to deploy him according to matchups and roster needs.

September provides another opportunity for his role to develop. Regular contributions at the plate would make his defensive flexibility considerably more useful, particularly when Chicago needs to rotate players, respond to injuries or alter its lineup without sacrificing too much offensive potential.

Shaw consequently represents both the present and future. Continued development across different positions gives Chicago a versatile contributor who provides depth without being restricted to one assignment.

Different Contributions, One Final Push

Chicago’s closing weeks will test more than its most visible strengths. Crow-Armstrong can influence games with his defensive range, while Hoerner provides consistency and Imanaga carries substantial responsibility within the rotation.

Holmes has introduced another dependable pitching option at an important stage, and Shaw gives the lineup valuable positional flexibility. Their roles differ considerably, which is precisely why each matters. As the remaining schedule contracts, those varied contributions could collectively determine how effectively the Cubs navigate the final demands of 2026.

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The Chicago Cubs, on Monday, blew a prime opportunity to beat the division rival Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.

More News: Chicago Cubs fleeced in Kyle Tucker trade? Wesneski’s emergence says “yes”

A Labor Day win may not have meant a whole lot in the race for the NL Central Division top spot—the Cubs still would’ve been six games behind with precious little time left in the regular season. But beating the Brewers would’ve been a major point of pride and a confidence booster. It also would’ve taken the pressure off of them on Wednesday, when ace phenom Jacob Misiorowski starts with a chip on his shoulder after a bad outing against the Cubs last week.

For a while it looked like the Cubs would get that Labor Day win.

Matthew Boyd was cooking through 7 innings, allowing just one run. But then, in the eighth inning, the wheels fell off the cart and Boyd gave up a leadoff walk and a double before relievers Ryan Zeferjahn and Jacob Webb allowed the Brewers to go from a 2-1 deficit to a 4-2 lead.

In the ninth, Chicago was only able to muster one run—from a solo homer by Pete Crow-Armstrong—before the book was closed on a 4-3 loss.

Counsell is roasted

More News: Chicago Cubs finding a replacement for Happ or Suzuki?

After the game, critics let loose with complaints over how manager Craig Counsell managed his pitchers in the eighth inning.

People are questioning why Boyd was allowed to come out for the eighth. And they’re really questioning why he was allowed to stay in the game after walking the lefty Garrett Mitchell and showing clear signs that his gas tank was empty. The next batter, the right-handed Joey Ortiz, would then crush a double to put runners on second and third with no outs.

Counsell then finally came out and Zeferjahn was brought into an almost impossible situation.

A mental block?

Matthew Trueblood of North Side Baseball laid the criticism on thick after the game, pretty much flat-out saying that Counsell has a mental block when it comes to coaching against his former team:

“Counsell…has managed like he’s terrified of his own instincts when facing the Brewers over the last two seasons, and he made another mistake born of that hesitation. Despite Boyd preparing to face Garrett Mitchell and Joey Ortiz for the third time and try to get an out in the eighth for the first time all year, Counsell left him in, eschewing (for the moment) Zeferjahn.

That’s not who Counsell is, as a manager. He’s dealt with a shaky bullpen all season, and Zeferjahn is as suspect as anyone the team has relied on in high-leverage situations during that time, but he’s also pitched well lately. He would have offered a vastly different look than Boyd to Mitchell and Ortiz (or, if it came to that, pinch-hitter Jake Bauers), who had already seen the tiring veteran southpaw twice. This is simple stuff. No version of Counsell that existed before he came to Chicago—and, really, no version of him who has ever managed against any team other than the Brewers—sends out his starter to pitch in that situation, but when facing his former team and his former mentor, Counsell hasn’t been himself.”

Counsell has been lauded throughout his career for how well he handles his pitchers. And this season, with all of the injuries and setbacks, he’s done some magical stuff in keeping the Cubs’ staff productive.

But Monday was a very bad day for the Cubs’ skipper. The team can’t afford to have too many more of those bad Counsell days if they want to do something in the playoffs.

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When the Chicago Cubs pulled the trigger on the trade with the Houston Astros to bring Kyle Tucker home, there weren’t too many fans crying over the cost.

More News: Chicago Cubs finding a replacement for Happ or Suzuki?

To get one year of the All-Star right fielder, the Cubs gave up 2024 no. 1 draft pick Cam Smith, third baseman Isaac Paredes, and pitcher Hayden Wesneski. Paredes was a good, solid every day player and Smith had a tremendous upside. The righty Wesneski, meanwhile, had top-shelf potential, but had failed to put it all together and was looking increasingly lost in the effort to do so.

Since coming from the New York Yankees in the 2022 Scott Effross trade, the Cubs seemed at a loss when it came to getting the talented young pitcher to the next level.

Of the three players dealt to the Astros, Wesneski was the least lamented by the Cubs faithful. And when he underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2025, he pretty much became the forgotten man in the Tucker trade.

Well, he’s definitely forced his way into being not forgotten now.

Hayden Wesneski is forgotten no more

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Since coming back from his surgery in late July of this season, the 28-year-old has posted a 3.18 ERA over 7 games and 39.2 innings pitched. In his last start against the Chicago White Sox, Wesneski threw 7 shutout, one-hit innings in the Astros’ 2-0 win.

Overall, he’s looked like a top-tier starting pitcher since coming back—something the Cubs could most definitely use, especially heading into a 2027 with so much insecurity swirling around the rotation.

Jordan Campbell of Cubbies Crib recently touched on Wesneski and his progress:

“Through his first seven starts with the Astros this season, Wesneski has an ERA of 3.18. What makes it more impressive is how Weneski is finding success this season. With the Cubs, home runs were his fatal flaw. So far with the Astros this season, he’s kept the ball in the bark. Through nearly 40 innings pitched this season, Wesneski has only given up two home runs.

There’s no telling if the Cubs would have been unable to unlock this version of Wesneski, it’s become clear their pitching infrastructure doesn’t always value how other teams find success. But, the larger point is that the Cubs paid a steep price to have Tucker for one season. It was obvious at the time, but as the debate over how won the trade rages on, it’s starting to look like the Astros are the victor and it may not be close.”

A big-trade fail?

Tucker definitely had value for the Cubs last season, despite an ugly second-half slump. It could be argued that Tucker’s first-half prominence helped motor the team into a position where they were a lock to make the postseason.

But, realistically, he was going to be a Cubs one-and-done as his free agent contract demands were going to be too steep for Chicago’s spending preferences.

It’s hard to go back and label a trade a failure when it probably helped you get into the playoffs. But it sure would be nice to have Cam Smith back as a right field option and a healthy, fully-actualized Wesneski earning recognition as a quality starting pitcher.

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When the Chicago Cubs made their trade deadline moves, the focus was understandably on pitching. To bolster an injury-hobbled pitching staff, the team acquired Kevin Gausman, Ryan Zeferjahn, Braxton Garrett, and Clay Holmes before the end of the deadline.

More News: Chicago Cubs: The best case scenario playoff pitching roster

Under the radar a bit was the Cubs’ other deadline acquisition, though—Tyrone Taylor.

The 32-year-old Taylor came over from the New York Mets in the Clay Holmes deal for highly-rated Cubs prospect Jefferson Rojas. At the time, Taylor was viewed as a depth acquisition and fourth outfielder-type who could play all three outfield positions and spell some of the regulars from time to time during the dog days of summer. He was also viewed as a right-handed bat off the bench to take at bats against tough lefties.

He’s turned into a whole lot more.

Tyrone Taylor’s surprising breakout

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According to analyst Carson Wolf, since June 28 (among players with 100+ plate appearances), Taylor is ranked no. 1 in batting average (.381), On Base Percentage (.445), Slugging (.711), wOBA (.488), and wRC+ (215). Since joining the Cubs, he’s slashing .404/.448/.558 over 21 games.

His turnaround this season has been remarkable, going from a solid, near-league average hitter with added value against lefties, to what he’s become now.

Wolf further explored Taylor’s sudden development in a piece for Just Baseball:

“His barrel rate has jumped from 6.1% to 12.5%, a mark that ranks in the top 11% of hitters this season. This has allowed him to slug at a rate that he had not seen before in his career.

His plate discipline and contact rates have also shifted in his favor. He has begun swinging the bat less overall, as well as chasing and whiffing less. This has led to a decrease in strikeouts and a significant increase in walks.

The improvement across the board has been incredible, and the process supports an increase in productivity.”

A suitable Happ/Suzuki replacement?

The rise to prominence creates an interesting situation for Chicago as they stare down the possibility of losing both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki to free agency this offseason. Taylor, who is also eligible for free agency at the end of the season, has to be considered an option when it comes to replacing either of the team’s current corner outfielders.

Currently making $3.8 million, Taylor would surely get a significant raise no matter where he signs. He’ll still, however, demand much less than the $20+ million Happ and Suzuki will demand over the course of what would also likely be a longer contract.

Manager Craig Counsell knows Taylor well from his days in Milwaukee and also, apparently, played a role in scouting him as a young athlete. The Cubs skipper helped guide the team into acquiring Taylor this season as well.

Could Chicago opt to let at least one of their current corner outfielders go in favor of a temporary Taylor stopgap until young outfield prospects Josiah Hartshorn, Ethan Conrad, and/or Kane Kepley can make their way to the big leagues?

It’s certainly possible, given the outfield prospect capital the team has in the farm system and certain budget-related issues.

Taylor is due for some regression. Pretty much everyone acknowledges that. But his floor is high enough as a multi-tool player to make an every day gig with the team something worthy of consideration.

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The Chicago Cubs are gearing up for what they hope is a lengthy playoff run. If all goes to plan, Edward Cabrera would be operating in a pivotal role out of the bullpen.

Cabrera is still making his way back from a middle finger blister. The Cubs have already committed to moving him to the pen upon his return. In that spot, Brent Maguire of MLB.com argues Cabrera could make his biggest impact.

“It’s been a tough first year in Chicago for Cabrera, who has been on the IL since Aug. 17 due to a finger blister and had a 5.68 ERA in his first 15 starts with the Cubs,” Maguire wrote. “Cabrera is already gearing up for a return with multiple rehab appearances and the plan is for him to shift to the bullpen when he’s back. That transition is why Cabrera is on this list despite his struggles — the right-hander has solely operated as a starter in the Majors but his high-octane stuff could make him a real threat in the playoffs.”

The Cubs’ biggest priority is getting Cabrera back on the field. Seeing as he is dealing with a blister, that shouldn’t take too long. Upon that return, Chicago will look for his role change to spark greater success in 2026.

Chicago Cubs’ Edward Cabrera trying to bounce back

The Cubs acquired Cabrera in a trade with the Miami Marlins prior to the season. However, his debut hasn’t gone as planned. Over his first 15 starts with the franchise, the right-hander holds a 5.68 ERA and a 67/32 K/BB ratio.

Still, the Cubs traded for him for a reason. He held a 3.53 ERA and a 150/48 K/BB ratio in his last 26 starts with the Marlins. Cabrera’s entire six-year MLB career has resulted in a 4.31 ERA and a 545/248 K/BB ratio.

Chicago knows the righty brings value to their roster when he is at the top of his game. Perhaps coming out of the bullpen will be what Cabrera needs to get back on track.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has been on a tear in 2026, firmly placing himself towards the top of National League Most Valuable Player discussions. On Sunday, the burgeoning superstar further etched his name into the franchise history books.

While the Cubs fell 10-3 to the Miami Marlins, the outfielder smashed his 40th home run of the year in the fifth inning. He joins just Billy Williams – who hit 42 in 1970 – as the only left-handed Cubs batters to hit 40 home runs in a season, via Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune.

“The All-Star center fielder joined Billy Williams (42 in 1970) as the only left-handed hitters to reach 40 home runs in a season in the franchise’s 150-year history,” Montemurro. “He’s one of 10 Cubs to reach the mark and the first since Derrek Lee hit 46 in 2005.”

Crow-Armstrong’s full breakout has come during his age-24 season, making him one of the youngest lefty hitters to eclipse 40 homers.

“Crow-Armstrong is just the 13th lefty hitter in MLB history at 24 years old or younger to hit at least 40 home runs in a season,” Montemurro wrote. “Former teammate Cody Bellinger was the last to do it when he hit 47 in 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Crow-Armstrong and Ernie Banks (44 home runs in 1955) are the youngest Cubs to record at least 40, both doing it in their age 24 seasons.”

The Cubs certainly aren’t complaining about Crow-Armstrong’s performance in 2026. But if/when he hits his 41st home run, Chicago will hope it comes in a win.

Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong pushing for MVP

After Sunday’s game, Crow-Armstrong is now hitting .280 with 40 home runs, 96 RBIs and 33 stolen bases. He ranks second in the league in home runs, fourth in stolen bases and fifth in stolen bases. The outfielder’s 106 runs scored are five more than any other player in the league.

Chicago’s playoff charge will be largely driven by Crow-Armstrong’s performance. The Cubs have plenty of potent bats in the lineup. But not many players in the league can touch what the back-to-back All-Star has done in 2026.

The Cubs will enter the postseason with lofty expectations. Chicago will feel much more confident about accomplishing them with Crow-Armstrong in the lineup.

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The Chicago Cubs are trying sweep the Miami Marlins on Sunday. However, their attempt will be without outfielder Ian Happ.

Happ was scratched with left knee discomfort less than an hour before first pitch, via Pamela Paredes of MLB.com. He was replaced by Tyrone Taylor, who is playing left field and batting ninth.

“Less than an hour before first pitch against the Marlins on Sunday at loanDepot park, the Cubs scratched Ian Happ from the lineup with left knee discomfort,” Paredes wrote. “Happ was scheduled to start in left field and bat fifth. Instead, he was replaced by Tyrone Taylor, who batted ninth and played left field.”

The fact Happ is dealing with discomfort rather than a full blown injury is a good sign. Still, the Cubs will have plenty of questions to answer after the outfielder was scratched so close to first pitch. Those answers will likely come after the game.

Chicago has their eyes set on a deep playoff run. Losing Happ for any amount of time would only hurt their cause. They’ll hope his knee discomfort keeps him on the shelf short-term and won’t require an injured list stint. But Happ may need to undergo a few tests to be sure.

Chicago Cubs can’t afford to lose Ian Happ

A single game is one thing. But losing Happ for an extended period of time would be a brutal blow. Through 138 games in 2026, the outfielder is hitting .221 with 23 home runs and 64 RBIs. While his numbers may not jump off the page, Happ ranks fourth on the team in homers and sixth in RBIs.

Furthermore, the Cubs are well aware of what he brings to the field both at the plate and on defense. Over his 10 years with the franchise, Happ has hit .244 with 196 home runs, 621 RBIs and 74 stolen bases.

The outfielder won’t be able to improve on those numbers Sunday. Both Happ and the Cubs will hope that isn’t the case for long.

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The Chicago Cubs are widely expected to make the playoffs. Current odds show the team having almost a 99% certainty of making postseason play.

More News: Chicago Cubs facing major Matthew Boyd dilemma

In the standings, they currently hold a half-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies at the top of the National League Wild Card race and a six-game lead over the no. 3 Wild Card seed Arizona Diamondbacks.

Barring some major, historic-level collapse, Chicago will be in the playoffs.

And the team does have the potential to make a deep run towards a championship. Their offense—currently led by MVP favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman, and Seiya Suzuki—is, arguably, the most potent offense in the majors. Meanwhile, their defense is absolute elite-tier and could also be regarded as the best in all of baseball.

The question with the Cubs, however, centers around pitching.

The Cubs’ pitching problem

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The pitching has been an issue almost from day one of the season.

Emerging ace Cade Horton was lost for the season after just two starts and will be out for much of next year as well following Tommy John surgery. Justin Steele’s return was shelved after a setback in his recovery from 2025 elbow surgery. Starters Matthew Boyd and Edward Cabrera, as well as closer Daniel Palencia have had two stints apiece on the IL. Three of the four free agent bullpen arms picked up in the offseason are either injured or off the team. Jameson Taillon flatlined the year and was later let go. And this was just some of the misfortune facing the team and it’s pitching staff.

The injuries have rocked them, non-stop, and have forced them into filling the roster with minor league pickups and castoffs from other teams just to field a full pitching staff.

Some good trade deadline acquisitions and a couple of pleasant surprises have helped stabilize the Cubs’ pitching, but with the playoffs approaching, there’s real concern about how this patchwork pitching staff may hold up. After all, as most experts acknowledge, pitching takes on a greater level of importance in the postseason.

But what if all goes well for Chicago’s pitching plans? What if it’s all “best case scenario” once the Cubs hit the playoffs?

Here’s a look at what such a pitching staff might look like.

The “best case scenario” Cubs playoff pitching roster

A veteran three-man Wild Card starting rotation of Clay Homes, Matthew Boyd, and Kevin Gausman would be top-tier. If/when the team advances, they’d then have to choose from Shota Imanaga, David Peterson, Colin Rea, and Javier Assad for the fourth rotation spot. This is definitely workable, especially if the offense is rocking.

The bullpen, however, is considerably more uncertain.

Jacob Webb and Daniel Palencia have been awful in recent outings and there’s real reason to be scared of what they might look like in a postseason late-inning relief role. Ryan Zeferjahn has closer-level stuff, but has struggled since coming over from the Angels at the trade deadline. His last two outings, though, have been great.

Now, here’s where there will be a bit of fantastical thinking to make this “best case scenario” angle work.

Justin Steele is currently working through a rehab assignment in the minors and, ideally, he gets the green light to work just in time to make the playoff roster. This would give the Cubs a second or third lefty in the pen, depending on whether they choose to keep both Ryan Rolison and Caleb Thielbar on the roster.

Then there’s Shelby Miller, who’s a bit further along in his rehab assignment than Steele. In a perfect world, he also gets back in time for the postseason.

Edward Cabrera, who’s also rehabbing, could be brought on as a wild card bullpen asset with legit swing-and-miss stuff for spot bullpen use.

So, in this “best case scenario” Cubs playoff bullpen, the team has a possible relief corps of: Palencia, Webb, Zeferjahn, Steele, Miller, Cabrera, Rea, Peterson, Assad, Imanaga, Rolison, Thielbar, Aaron Civale, and Trent Thornton.

And if all of them are clicking and performing at full capacity, that’s not too shabby of a bullpen.

Of course, “if” is a huge word in baseball.

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The Chicago Cubs will have some major decisions to make this coming offseason. A good portion of the team will be eligible for free agency at the end of this season.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Nico Hoerner is the unsung MVP, yet again

At the completion of the 2026 season, the Cubs will see the following players from the current roster become free agents: Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, David Peterson, Kevin Gausman, Carson Kelly, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Conforto, Tyrone Taylor, Ryan Rolison, Trent Thornton, Aaron Civale, Caleb Thielbar, and Hunter Harvey. Clay Holmes, meanwhile, has a $12 million player option for 2027 that he’s expected to turn down in favor of free agency.

That’s about half the team possibly moving on. It’s probably not feasible to add so many new names and simultaneously expect to compete for a championship.

So, obviously, the Cubs may like to keep at least some of their potentially outbound players. They’ve already worked on some of that by extending Nico Hoerner earlier in the season and by letting Jameson Taillon and Hoby Milner go. But there’s a lot more work to be done in that regard.

Some of the decisions are easy. They should try to hold on to Clay Holmes and at least one of their corner outfielders. Tyrone Taylor may also be a smart budget-minded keep.

Making a decision on Matthew Boyd

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One of the more difficult decisions will be regarding Matthew Boyd.

The 35-year-old lefty came to the Cubs prior to the 2025 season on a budget-friendly two-year, $29 million contract after working his way back from elbow surgery. He exceeded all expectations in his first year with the Cubs, pitching his first full season since 2019 and finishing the year with a 14-8 record and a 3.21 ERA.

This season hasn’t been great. Two IL stints have limited his innings and he’s had some consistency issues when healthy. But his 4.05 ERA is solid enough and his average of 5.2 innings per start is decent.

Doubts and questions

The problem is that there is legitimate doubt as to just how much more juice Boyd has in his arm, especially after a second straight season where he appears to be fading late in the year. Chicago will have a real need for an anchor in their rotation with the loss of so many starting pitchers and the insecurity surrounding those who remain on the roster. Boyd is probably not that guy at this point in his career.

Nick Deeds of Cubbies Crib sums up the Cubs’ dilemma in approaching the re-signing of Boyd:

“After signing a two-year deal with the Cubs in December 2024, Boyd was a revelation for them last year with a 3.21 ERA across 31 starts in his first healthy season since 2019. That alone was impressive, and this year Boyd has followed it up with a decent performance across 18 outings, good for a 4.05 ERA overall.

While the deal to bring him into the fold was undeniably a good one, it wouldn’t make sense to bring him back next year. Boyd is already 35 years old, and for the second year in a row he’s wearing down late in the season. This year, Boyd has a 5.20 ERA and 6.42 FIP in six starts since the calendar flipped to August. Last year, he posted a 5.16 ERA from July 28 onwards. Those late-season slumps are likely to only get worse as Boyd gets older, and the Cubs ought to let that be another club’s problem.”

Maybe if the Cubs could get him on another short-term deal at a similar price, a re-signing would be advisable. A nice one-year contract giving him a decent raise for 2027 could be a smart move for the team. But Boyd is probably going to be looking for more money in a longer deal.

At 35 years of age, with the mileage he has on his body, the Cubs would be smart to move on if they can’t get another budget deal from him.

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The Chicago Cubs have been MLB’s most prolific offense this season, and it hasn’t been particularly close. Chicago leads the league in runs scored by a wide margin, currently holding a 27-run advantage, while also becoming the first team to reach 200 home runs. The New York Yankees and Washington Nationals are the only other teams in the 190s.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has led the power surge with 39 home runs, but the Cubs have gotten plenty of production throughout the lineup. Alex Bregman and Seiya Suzuki have each gone deep 24 times, Ian Happ has 23, and Michael Busch and Dansby Swanson have each added 18.

On the other side of the ball, the Cubs have also surrendered more home runs than any team in MLB, allowing 215 so far this season. That’s three more than the second-place Athletics and a staggering 20 more than the Nationals.

The Chicago Cubs have hit 200 home runs this season, the most in baseball.

The Chicago Cubs have also allowed 215 home runs this season, the most in baseball.

— Jacob Zanolla (@jacobzanolla) September 5, 2026

Shota Imanaga’s struggles have been well documented, with a league leading 33 home runs allowed, but he’s hardly been alone. Colin Rea has surrendered 20, while former Cub Jameson Taillon has given up 25.

Together, these stats show just how important the home run ball has been to the Cubs this year.

The 2026 Chicago Cubs will live or die by the home run ball

For all the damage the Cubs have done with the long ball, their inability to keep the ball in the park has been just as glaring. Chicago has built one of MLB’s most dangerous offenses by consistently clearing the fences, but its pitching staff has allowed an MLB-high number of home runs.

That makes the home run ball a defining part of the Cubs’ season, and potentially one of the biggest factors in determining how far this team can go when the games matter most.

By reaching 200 home runs as an offense this season, the 2026 Cubs have joined an exclusive group in franchise history. This year’s team is now just the ninth team in Cubs history to reach the milestone, adding another impressive mark to what has been a historic offensive season.

The 2019 Cubs still hold the franchise record with 256 home runs, followed by the 2004 team with 235. Last year’s squad ranks third with 223, meaning this year’s Cubs have a legitimate chance to climb even higher on that list before the season is over.

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The Chicago Cubs won their second straight game on Friday, taking the series opener against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park by a score of 6-1. In doing so, they re-took the top National League Wild Card spot from the Philadelphia Phillies by a half-game.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Edward Cabrera bullpen prep has begun

The win represented a lot of positive after some big-time negatives emerged at various points of their four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers.

First, for the second straight game, the bullpen held after giving off signs of full-on collapse over the last several days. On Friday, Aaron Civale pitched three shutout innings in relief of Shota Imanaga to close out the game.

That leads to Imanaga, himself, who had an outstanding showing after a shaky run of starts.

The offense, meanwhile, is still cooking, with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman killing things at the plate.

Nico Hoerner has been “nails”

More News: Chicago Cubs coach makes startling Daniel Palencia revelation

Then, there’s Nico Hoerner—the team’s every day second baseman who is now their every day shortstop after the oblique injury to Dansby Swanson.

Hoerner, a two-time Gold Glover at second, has moved over to shortstop and is playing the position like he wants a Gold Glove there as well.

The 29-year-old has already made an impact with his defense at his new spot, including an absolutely insane diving catch against the Brewers in Wednesday.

‘‘Does it surprise anybody?’’ Dansby Swanson said on Friday. ‘‘Of course, he’s going to make [the catch]. He’s so good at whatever he does, really. I’ve had zero doubts that this would be any different.’’

Hoerner’s excellence has the Cubs hardly missing the elite defensive wizardry of Swanson.

Not missing Dansby Swanson?

‘‘It doesn’t really feel like much is really different,’’ Crow-Armstrong told media on Thursday. ‘‘No shade to Dansby. Nico’s showing everybody that he can be a big-league shortstop at the everyday clip, as well. Nico’s been nails.’’

‘‘If there’s another guy in this league I want playing shortstop, it’s Nico Hoerner, so there’s not much to complain about with that,’’ first baseman Michael Busch told reporters late last month. ‘‘To be honest, I don’t think we’re missing much.’’

‘‘We’re pretty lucky, as a team, to have that as the backup option,’’ left fielder Ian Happ also said.

And offensively, Hoerner has also excelled of late, completely turning around a season that had seen him underachieve at the plate until about mid-June.

In the 63 games since June 24, he’s hit .298 with 4 home runs and 27 RBIs and has scored 21 runs. On the season, he’s bumped up his batting average from an uncharacteristically feeble .235 to his current .263.

Last season, Hoerner became a spark plug for the Cubs offense in the last part of the regular season and into the playoffs and it looks like things are trending in that direction for him again. If so, Chicago will be in a nice position to make some real noise in the postseason.

It’s also looking like he’s once again an unsung MVP of the Cubs roster, standing somewhat in the shadows of the flashier talents making all the headlines, but serving as a glue that keeps the whole team together.

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The Chicago Cubs may or may not be having second thoughts when it comes to trading for pitcher Edward Cabrera this past offseason, but they surely can’t be pleased with how this season has turned out for him.

More News: Chicago Cubs coach makes startling Daniel Palencia revelation

The hard-throwing righty was acquired in a trade with the Miami Marlins that cost them their No. 1 prospect, Owen Caissie, along with two infield prospects. Right now, it’s looking like the Marlins may have gotten the better end of the deal.

Cabrera has spent the majority of this 2026 campaign injured. Even when healthy, he’s mostly looked flat and/or ineffective. On the season, he’s sporting a 5.68 ERA through 15 starts and 76 innings pitched.

His most recent struggles involved an extended IL stint from a hamstring strain and then a one-game return before being placed back on the IL with a blister issue.

Cabrera, to the bullpen

More News: Chicago Cubs: Justin Steele’s rehab sparks ‘Hail Mary’ bullpen hope

This time around, talk about a Cabrera return isn’t centering around a return to the starting rotation. There’s just not enough time left in the season to nurture him back into a starter role and work around whatever physical issues he may be having related to the workload. Instead, a spot in the bullpen seems to be the target for him, at least for the rest of this year.

Cabrera’s stuff and his ability to generate swings and misses would be extremely useful in the bullpen, especially in late-inning, high-leverage situations. For the Cubs, who’ve had a multitude of injury-related bullpen issues, another strong, healthy arm would be an absolute godsend.

Apparently, the team is already working on getting him used to his new role.

Per Chicago Cubs beat reporter Tony Andracki:

“Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said on @thescorechicago the Cubs are having Edward Cabrera work in a simulated situation tomorrow, entering in the middle of an inning.

Cubs are trying to get him used to experiences as a reliever before he comes back to help the team in bullpen.

Cabrera has only made 2 relief appearances in his MLB career, so it’s a very new thing for him.

Cubs are planning to use him in short bursts as reliever to protect him from the blister issues that have cropped up all season and hope he can help a much-maligned bullpen.”

“Hail Mary” bullpen options

Cabrera didn’t look great in his first rehab appearance as a reliever on Tuesday. He gave up one run on four hits in an inning pitched, although he did strike out two. The hope is that his issues were purely the result of rust.

As Cabrera is being prepped for a relief role, the Cubs also have veterans Shelby Miller and Justin Steele working through their own rehab assignments in the minors, also with the idea that if they do return to the major league team this season, it’ll be in the bullpen.

These are the kinds of “Hail Mary” options the team has been forced into considering as a result of a bullpen that has been devastated by injury and, most recently, sudden mass instability—just as they make their way to the playoffs.

Over the offseason, decisions will then have to be made about Cabrera and his permanent role on the team.

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The Chicago Cubs need Daniel Palencia to be Daniel Palencia. They need the hard-throwing right-hander to be the same guy who was brought up from Iowa in mid-April last season and proceeded to earn his way into being the team’s full-time closer by the end of May.

More News: Chicago Cubs: Justin Steele’s rehab sparks ‘Hail Mary’ bullpen hope

In 2025, Palencia posted 22 saves and an ERA of 2.91 through 54 appearances. Excluding a bit of a late-season fade and an IL stint, he was an elite-level late-inning arm from the moment he was brought up.

This year, however, has been a way different story.

There was hope after his dominant performance at the World Baseball Classic representing Team Venezuela that he had secured his position as a world class closer. Instead, he’s struggled with injury throughout the season and, upon his return from a second IL placement, he’s been getting rocked.

In five outings since his Chicago return, he has a 14.55 ERA, giving up 7 hits—including 2 home runs—in 4.1 innings pitched.

Obviously, this Palencia stumble is a serious cause for concern on a Cubs team dealing with multiple pitching issues all at once, including what appears to be an almost full-scale collapse of the bullpen.

Palencia rushed back?

More News: Chicago Cubs: The secret to PCA’s success may be surprisingly simple

Now, there appears to be a hint of a confession that maybe the Cubs, feeling the burning need to get some impact arms back onto the major league roster, possibly rushed Palencia back to active duty before he was absolutely ready.

In a recent interview with 104.3 The Score, Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy made the startling revelation that all was not right with Palencia during his most recent rehab assignment:

“I think right now, honestly, it’s a little bit more of a confidence thing. He wasn’t feeling great mechanically, I think, as he was getting back during his rehab and trying to kind of get things in sync. And some of that does translate into not having the confidence of driving the ball where you want it or you expect it to be in the past.

I do think, for him, when he’s right mechanically, he’s driving the fastball through the top of the strike zone and getting the slider down…He’s a guy that needs more consistent reps and we’re going to continue to give him opportunities to work through those things He’s shown that he can be a dominant reliever in this game.”

No other options?

Although Hottovy did say that he saw some flashes of Palencia’s old self in his latest outing, there’s still the underlying reality that we’re just not seeing the 26-year-old in optimal form, even as he’s being tossed into important games in the midst of a push to make the playoffs.

To be fair to the Cubs, though, it has to be pointed out that healthy, viable major league-ready arms are in very short supply for the team right now after waves upon waves of injury have repeatedly leveled their pitching plans.

At the moment, even an “off” Daniel Palencia is probably a better option than much of what’s currently available to them.

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Seven months ago, the Chicago Cubs saw a noticeably improved Ben Brown during Spring Training. The addition of a sinker over the offseason generated plenty of buzz, and a strong spring ultimately helped Brown secure one of the Cubs’ final spots on the Opening Day roster.

That opportunity came despite his 5.95 ERA over 106 innings the previous season, as the new weapon in his arsenal looked like the perfect complement to his fastball and curveball. That proved to be the case early in 2026, as Brown gave the Cubs exactly what they needed while the pitching staff dealt with a long list of injuries: length and results.

Through 20 games this season and 68.0 innings pitched, Brown posted an astonishingly low 1.85 ERA. More importantly, opposing hitters were no longer able to sit on his fastball, as the addition of a sinking pitch forced them to account for another offering with significant movement while still respecting his devastating curveball.

Unfortunately, Brown’s breakout season came to a halt in early June when he was diagnosed with stress fractures in his neck, an issue that had plagued him in the past. The prescribed treatment was rest, which Brown followed before gradually progressing back into pitching activities. However, just as he appeared to be nearing a return, Brown began experiencing discomfort again.

Chicago Cubs breakout pitcher Ben Brown will not throw again in 2026

According to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, Brown sought multiple medical opinions after the neck pain returned. Ultimately, doctors determined that his neck had not healed enough to safely continue pushing through the discomfort, bringing an end to his 2026 season and preventing him from pitching for the Cubs again this year.

For Brown, injury ending his 2026 season is undoubtedly a disappointing way to close out what had been a breakout campaign. Hopefully he can return at full strength in 2027, and keep the pain away, where he will look to build on the momentum of his impressive start from this season.

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The Chicago Cubs bullpen appears to be in the midst of a full-on collapse after yet another poor showing in Wednesday’s 9-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field.

More News: Chicago Cubs staring down harsh reality after Jacob Webb injury

Worst of all for the team, de facto closer Jacob Webb took a line drive off the bat of Christian Yelich in the ninth inning and had to leave the game. X-rays were later revealed to be negative, but the team is nonetheless facing the reality of losing the veteran righty for a period of time.

The injury removes one more key component to a pitching staff that has been besieged by injury all season.

Recently, though, Webb has been struggling and hasn’t looked to be the same pitcher who stepped up earlier in the season to be a source of stability for an injury-plagued bullpen. Regardless, the loss will be a big deal for what is likely to be a playoff-bound team.

The late-inning bullpen guys, as a whole, have been in a bad place recently. Closer tandem Webb and Daniel Palencia have a beyond-ugly combined 19.91 ERA over their last 8 appearances. Ryan Zeferjahn, who was picked up at the trade deadline to be a late-inning asset, has been touched up repeatedly.

But some are grasping at the hope of a returning Cubs ace to maybe step into a prominent bullpen role down the stretch and into the postseason.

Justin Steele’s first rehab outing

More News: Chicago Cubs: The secret to PCA’s success may be surprisingly simple

On Wednesday, Justin Steele made his first rehab appearance for the Iowa Cubs and looked about as good as any pitcher could be expected to look after going through what he has gone through.

The 31-year-old southpaw threw 36 pitches in a 1.2 inning appearance where he allowed 1 earned run on 4 hits and no walks, striking out two hitters. He averaged 90.3 mph on his fastball and 89.7 mph on his slider, which was, as expected, below his pre-injury average.

Steele had UCL surgery in April of 2025 and was expected back as soon as June of this year. However a flexor strain killed the momentum of his comeback and forced him right back into recovery. It’s been quite the frustrating ride for Steele, the Cubs, and the fans.

Still, just the very image of Steele pitching in a competitive situation again was enough to get many fans wondering aloud whether he could be brought back in time for the playoffs this season, at least in a bullpen role to help secure a roughed-up relief corps.

“I’m excited for him that he’s getting back out there,” Cubs president Jed Hoyer told media Tuesday. “As it relates to this team, we’ll see. We’re not in development mode at this point.

“If he can come back and he can help us, he’s going to come back and he’s going to help us. If there’s rust and he needs more time, it’s not the time to do that.

“I’m very open-minded, but I don’t know how this is going to go.”

A Cubs ‘Hail Mary’ bullpen strategy

With Webb injured and Palencia—along with several others—struggling, could the Cubs bullpen be forced into a Hail Mary-type bullpen maneuver to help with their playoff run?

With Steele starting his rehab assignment and veteran Shelby Miller already a few appearances into his own rehab assignment, could the Cubs count on two veteran talents maybe stepping up to fortify a stressed and strained bullpen? A starting rotation spot for Steele is not realistic, but a good inning here and there out of the bullpen could help the team.

Something like this is certainly within the realm of possibility, even though the Cubs themselves are pretty clear in emphasizing that the goal for both Steele and Miller is a healthy full return next season, not a rush to contribute this season.

But at least there’s a marginal Plan B for this bullpen mess. Although, admittedly, it’s very marginal at this point.

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The Chicago Cubs just can’t seem to catch a break this season and Wednesday’s 9-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers was an especially tough one to deal with.

More News: Chicago Cubs: The secret to PCA’s success may be surprisingly simple

For one, the team did manage to touch up Brewers phenom Jacob Misiorowski for 5 earned runs over 4 innings pitched. Getting to Milwaukee’s ace should’ve set up the Cubs for victory. But starter David Peterson struggled throughout his outing, ultimately allowing 6 earned runs over 3.2 innings—and then the bullpen once again failed to shut things down from there.

After Trent Thornton and Ryan Rolison delivered 2.1 innings of no-run ball, Daniel Palencia came in and struggled in his fourth straight outing since coming back from the IL, allowing 2 hits and a run in his inning. Then, the Cubs suffered through, arguably, their worst bit of misfortune from the defeat.

Jacob Webb’s injury

More News: Chicago Cubs comment on ugly bullpen collapse: “We’ve got to pitch better”

Jacob Webb, working in the ninth inning, was hit in the forearm by a 102.5 mph line drive off the bat of Christian Yelich and had to leave the game.

Later that evening, manager Craig Counsell clarified that his pitcher was hit in the “meat part” of the forearm and that x-rays were negative.

“He’s got a little bit of pain, and he’s got a pretty big bruise — it’s going to be a big bruise — so he’s a little sore, but x-rays are negative,” Counsell told reporters.

The lack of any break or fracture is a positive, but, as of this writing, there’s no word on how long the righty will be out of commission or whether an IL stint is in the works.

The Webb injury gave fans flashbacks to an entire season of pitching injuries that has hobbled the team and forced them into culling fringe arms from every possible source just to maintain a full staff.

Up until recently, the 33-year-old Webb had been one of the few pillars of stability on the pitching staff, working his way into being the team’s de facto closer with a 2.21 ERA as recently as August 21. In recent outings, however, he’s struggled mightily. Over his last four appearances, he has a 21.00 ERA.

Still, losing Webb would take away the possibility of a comeback the Cubs need to see happen in their bullpen, especially with Palencia—and several others—struggling.

The realities facing a struggling bullpen

If Webb is gone for any significant period of time, as the playoffs approach, it will give them one less option for late-inning relief. At this point of the season, though, Chicago is stuck with what they have for the most part and must work at trying to turn things around internally. That means putting their guys right back out there to work through the rough times.

“These are the guys we need to pitch well,” Counsell said before Wednesday’s game. “The way to do that is to get them back out there and have them pitch again.

“You get beat. And it’s no fun, and it stinks. But if you’re not confident, that’s how you get your confidence back. If you’re struggling with something, that’s how you find it. You find it out there on the field, when the competition’s going on and the other side’s trying to get you. These are guys we count on, and we need them.”

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The Chicago Cubs took a gamble back in 2021 when they traded All-Star shortstop Javier Baez and pitcher Trevor Williams for a 19-year-old prospect recovering from shoulder surgery, who some felt was a bit undersized to ever become a a true power hitter in the majors.

More News: Chicago Cubs comment on ugly bullpen collapse: “We’ve got to pitch better”

That prospect was Pete Crow-Armstrong and, well, that bet has paid off very handsomely.

As of this writing, “PCA” is slashing .280/.374/.569 with 38 home runs, 91 RBIs and 32 stolen bases while holding a MLB-leading 8.3 WAR, according to ESPN.

The 24-year-old’s season has been historically good, not only earning him recognition among all-time Cubs greats, but also among the legendary names of the sport like Babe Ruth and Micky Mantle.

Always considered an elite talent with a very high ceiling, Crow-Armstrong put it all together earlier this season when he seemingly flipped a switch in his development. He suddenly developed a discerning eye at the plate and the discipline to change from someone who hacks at everything to someone willing to wait on the right pitches.

In August, alone, he’s hit 14 home runs and has driven in 28 runs as a motor of the Cubs’ prodigious offense.

PCA flipped a switch in his development

More News: Chicago Cubs now share top Wild Card spot, and are trending downward

His sudden maturity has stunned a lot of people, even Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.

“The defense and the base running (are) so special that I probably take it for granted at times,” Hoyer recently told The Athletic. “But watching the consistency of the at-bats, that’s been an amazing transformation. A lot of coaches deserve a lot of credit. And Pete deserves the lion’s share of the credit for sticking with it.

“His decision-making in the box — I’ve never seen a player develop at this rate. This is a quantum leap in terms of his decision-making. He has a higher OPS against lefties than righties at this point. He’s had some at-bats against great lefty relievers, and he’s laying off pitches just a little bit outside. That was unimaginable one year ago.”

One factor that could be at the heart of PCA’s growth is security.

The secret to his success?

Crow Armstrong was signed to a 6-year, $115 million extension by the Cubs at the beginning of this season and will now stay in the city he’s grown to love through at least the 2032 season.

For some players, security can lead to complacency. For others, it takes pressure off and lets them focus on just becoming a better ballplayer. PCA clearly falls into the latter category—and he’s been letting people know that.

“But it always came back to: I’m going to be comfortable signing whatever deal, really, just because I’m going to be able to sleep at night, knowing that I’m just waking up and playing,” Crow-Armstrong told The Athletic shortly before this year’s All-Star game. “I’m always going to have that outlook.”

And Hoyer concurs. The extension helped unlock the young star’s next level while, also, making sure the team kept their prized asset in place for a long time.

“That was a big part of the logic of the deal, sort of giving him the comfort of, ‘You’re here. You’re good. You’re going to be all set financially,’ ” Hoyer said. “For us, it’s a cornerstone for a really good defensive team to have a great center fielder. Knowing we could lock that up for a long time made sense.

“With the person he is and the way the fans respond to him, that makes it all easier to do it. It’s a win-win.”

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The Chicago Cubs have fallen from their top NL Wild Card spot and are now trailing the Philadelphia Phillies by a game after their 9-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.

More News: The Chicago Cubs might not have a single starting pitcher heading into 2027

The loss to their NL Central Division rivals, who are now 8 games ahead of the Cubs in the division, was especially concerning since it highlighted one of the main concerns facing this team as it works its way to a playoff berth.

The bullpen has been held together all season by hopes, wishes, overachievement and the sage guidance of manager Craig Counsell. When early plans collapsed and the bullpen became stressed and strained by injury, a small legion of relievers was ushered in and out to assume needed roles and get outs. Up until fairly recently, it’s mostly worked out for the team.

Now, it’s looking like reality is starting to hit hard.

Cubs bullpen problems

More News: Pete Crow-Armstrong’s greatness continues to force history talk

Over their last 11 games, Cubs relievers have a 5.97 ERA. On Tuesday, the bullpen flat-out collapsed, inheriting a 3-1 lead with one out in the sixth and proceeding to give up 6 runs after that.

Daniel Palenicia’s disastrous performance was the first and most noteworthy bullpen fail of the evening—giving up 2 earned runs on 2 hits and a balk. The former closer is now 4 games into his big league return after an extended stint on the IL and is sporting an ugly 16.22 ERA over 3.1 innings.

“I’ve been missing some locations. I need to execute better on my pitches,” Palencia told reporters after the game. “It’s been tough for sure, but this is baseball. I’m gonna have bad days. This is not me. Like I said, I want the ball tomorrow. I’m gonna be ready, and that’s it.”

Ryan Zeferjahn, Caleb Thielbar, and Tyler Ferguson were also awful in their turns after Palencia, giving up 4 earned runs in 3 innings.

The Cubs’ bullpen has actually been trending downward for awhile. Some would argue that they’re now playing down to their actual level after months of performing above their level.

Aldo Soto of Sports Mockery recently summarized the Cubs’ plight and the need for a bullpen turnaround:

“Overall, as a bullpen dating back to Aug. 11, the Cubs rank 22nd in MLB with a 4.81 ERA. During that stretch, the Cubs have five blown saves, tied with two other teams for the most. This bullpen is starting to give me those 2023 vibes, when you have a bunch of guys who were great for a long time, but then lost steam and broke down in September. The problem right now is that the Cubs don’t have many other options. Palencia has to be good. Zeferjahn has to be good. Jacob Webb has to be good. If they don’t turn it around fast, then it could get very ugly for the Cubs down the stretch.”

Hoyer, Counsell speak on bullpen situation

Right now, the bullpen as a unit is bad and wholly unreliable—and that doesn’t bode well for Chicago’s chances in the playoffs.

But there’s still some internal belief that things will turn around—at least according to the public talking points from coaching and the front office.

“It’s been a really good bullpen throughout the year,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told media. “That is the nature of bullpens. Hopefully, they can wipe away [some bad outings of late]. Recency would say they need to step up and perform the way they did the rest of the year, but I don’t think you would’ve asked me [about the bullpen] seven games ago.”

Counsell was mare pragmatic in his response, working under the reality that this is who the Cubs have and who, also, they have to count on.

“We’ve got to pitch better, there’s no question,” Counsell said. “But these are the guys, man. This is them. So we’ve got to help them get better, and we’ve got to get outs.”

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Chicago does not usually get a month like this.

The city’s sports calendar tends to run in shifts. Baseball fades, football takes over, hockey and basketball arrive once the leaves turn. Somebody is always rebuilding. Somebody is always already eliminated. The idea of four or five Chicago teams mattering in the same three-week window has been closer to a fantasy than a schedule.

September 2026 is different. Both baseball teams are heading toward October. The Bears open a season carrying genuine expectations for the first time in a generation. The Blackhawks are about to reopen camp with Patrick Kane back in the room. The Sky are closing out a season that will define their offseason.

Here is what each of them is actually playing for, and which dates decide it.

The Cubs Are Now Fighting for Something They Thought They Had

For most of the summer, the Cubs held the National League’s top wild card spot with room to spare. That cushion is gone.

Chicago enters September at 78-60 and level with the Philadelphia Phillies at the top of the wild card standings. A lead that reached five games at one point has evaporated, largely because the Phillies went on a tear while the Cubs dropped four of five series. The Padres and Diamondbacks are close enough behind to matter too.

The distinction is not academic. The top wild card team hosts the entire first round. The second one travels. For a club built around a strong home record and one of the best defenses in baseball, playing that series at Wrigley Field rather than Citizens Bank Park is worth real games.

The division is a different conversation. Milwaukee has held the NL Central in a vice grip all year and the maths no longer favors a comeback, even with seven meetings left between the two clubs, including a season-closing series in Milwaukee. Manager and front office alike have been careful not to frame the month as a division chase.

What they do have is pitching that finally looks whole. Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes both arrived at the deadline. Pete Crow-Armstrong has spent the season in the MVP conversation. Alex Bregman has provided the middle-of-the-order production the roster lacked. Whether the rotation holds up is the single biggest variable in how far this team goes.

The White Sox Are Chasing the Most Improbable Division Title in Years

Two years ago the White Sox lost 121 games. Last season they finished under .500 for the third straight year and were eliminated by early September.

They enter this September in first place.

Chicago sits at 73-65 and holds a three-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central, currently slotted as the American League’s second seed and in line for a first-round bye. They added a veteran outfielder from Philadelphia to strengthen the group for the stretch. National coverage has spent the last week trying to work out whether this qualifies as the most unlikely division win in modern baseball history, which tells you how far outside the projections this team has landed.

The schedule gives them control of their own fate. A three-game set against Cleveland from September 14 to 16 is the pivot point of their month. One win there secures the tiebreaker against their closest pursuer, which in a race this tight could end up deciding the whole thing.

For a fan base that has spent three seasons watching a teardown, the question has flipped entirely. It is no longer whether the rebuild works. It is whether the rebuild is already finished.

The Bears Open With Expectations Attached

Ben Johnson’s first year in Chicago produced 11 wins, a division title and a playoff run that ended in the divisional round. His second begins on September 13 in Carolina.

Caleb Williams enters year three as a legitimate MVP candidate after the way he finished last season, and Johnson has treated him accordingly. Williams did not take a snap in the preseason opener. The coaching staff spent August prioritizing practice volume and health over exhibition reps, which is the behavior of a team that believes it already knows what it has.

What it does not know is the back end of the defense. Ryan Poles has publicly raised concerns about Kyler Gordon’s availability for the season, the safety pairing of Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman is still unsettled, and Ozzy Trapilo’s return from injury has its own timeline. Those are the questions that decide whether a good offense turns into a serious team.

September stacks the schedule against them early. Carolina on the road, Minnesota at Soldier Field on September 20, then Philadelphia on Monday Night Football on September 28. Three weeks in, Chicago will know exactly what this team is.

The Sky Close Out a Season of Transition

The Sky are the one Chicago team without much left to play for. Tyler Marsh’s group sits at 15-23 and fifth in the Eastern Conference with the WNBA schedule paused for the World Cup break.

That is an improvement on last year’s 10-34, but it comes in a season reshaped by Angel Reese’s departure to Atlanta, where she has continued to put up the kind of numbers that made her the face of the franchise in Chicago. Following her from a distance has been a strange experience for Sky supporters.

The real business is the offseason. What Chicago does with its cap space and its draft position will say more about the next three years than anything left on the 2026 schedule.

Hockey and Basketball Are Already Warming Up

The Blackhawks reopen camp this month with the most interesting roster they have had since the rebuild started. Patrick Kane is back on a two-year deal. Connor Bedard is entering another season as the organization’s centerpiece. Kyle Davidson had an active summer, and the general consensus around the team is that the excuses have run out.

The Bulls are further out, with camp arriving at the end of the month, but Matas Buzelis has spent the offseason making it clear he intends to be a problem for people.

Where the Betting Markets Fit In

A month this crowded is also the busiest stretch of the year for Chicago sports markets. Illinois has had legal mobile sports betting since 2020, and a September featuring two baseball playoff races, an NFL opener and the start of hockey camp produces a volume of local action that no other point on the calendar comes close to matching.

The wider online gaming market has changed alongside it. A growing share of players now fund accounts with digital currency rather than cards or bank transfers, mostly for the speed of deposits and withdrawals. That shift has brought a flood of new platforms, and the quality varies enormously. Anyone weighing how to choose a reliable eth casino for online crypto gaming should be checking licensing, published withdrawal times and the platform’s operating history before anything else, because the headline bonus figure is usually the least informative number on the page.

Worth saying plainly: this is entertainment, not a revenue plan. Anyone for whom it stops feeling that way should step back and look for support.

The Dates That Decide the Month

• September 13 — Bears open the season in Carolina
• September 14-16 — White Sox host Cleveland with the AL Central tiebreaker on the line
• September 20 — Minnesota visits Soldier Field
• September 28 — Bears host Philadelphia on Monday Night Football
• September 29 to October 1 — Cubs close the regular season in Milwaukee

Five teams, one city, three weeks. Chicago has spent a long time waiting for a September that actually matters. This is it.

The post Chicago’s Crowded September: What the Bears, Cubs, White Sox and Sky Are All Playing For at Once appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The 2026 Chicago Cubs have well-established strengths on both offense and defense. As of August 31, they lead the Majors in runs scored and walks while ranking third in home runs, giving them one of baseball’s most productive lineups. On the other side of the ball, their defense has once again been a major strength, always keeping them in games and allowing them to have multiple ways to win games.

That said, the Cubs are no slouches on the basepaths either, ranking 10th in the Majors in stolen bases this season. Where they really separate themselves, however, is their efficiency. As highlighted by Nugget Chef over the weekend, Chicago leads the league in stolen-base efficiency, showing just how rarely the Cubs give away outs.

Yesterday, the Cubs passed the Phillies for stolen base efficiency this season, with Chicago now sitting at a 84.9% success rate in 2026.

That means the Cubs have:

– Best team offense (by wRC+)
– Best team defense (by OAA, DRS, errors)
– Highest stolen base success rate

— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) August 30, 2026

Interestingly, the post was designed to highlight three areas in which the Cubs excel, but one crucial piece is noticeably absent: pitching. That omission is worth paying attention to, because how Chicago performs on the mound could ultimately be its biggest X-factor over the remainder of the season.

Pitching performance will be the Chicago Cubs biggest X-factor the remainder of the 2026 season

Entering the final day of August, the Cubs own a 4.15 team ERA, which ranks exactly in the middle of the 30 MLB teams. The advanced metrics paint a less encouraging picture, as their 4.38 expected ERA is even higher. That suggests Chicago’s pitching performance has actually been worse than what has been seen on the field.

Ultimately, the Cubs have checked nearly every box needed to be a legitimate postseason threat. Their offense is among the best in baseball, their defense remains elite and they consistently make smart decisions on the basepaths. The biggest question now rests on the pitching staff.

That said, the Cubs did rebuild their pitching staff at the trade deadline, and also are starting to see others get healthy. High octane arm Daniel Palencia returned earlier this month, Shelby Miller’s last hurdle before amazingly returning following Tommy John surgery is pitching on back-to-back days, and Justin Steele has been working towards returning in a bullpen role.

Chicago’s ability to get consistent performances from its arms could determine whether this season ends with a deep playoff run or an early exit. If the pitching can rise to the occasion, the Cubs have the foundation to be a dangerous October team.

The post Stat shows how big of an X-factor pitching will be for Cubs appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong has claimed his spot a top the betting odds for the NL MVP race. As we wrap up the month of August, Crow-Armstrong is the favorite to win the NL MVP award, overtaking the previous favorite Shohei Ohtani.

With a month left in the season, Crow-Armstrong is in great shape as he is hoping to help lead the Cubs in the playoffs. He’s also cementing his status as a star on the national level as well, drawing more attention from analysts and those around the game.

He’s also seeing his trading cards skyrocket.

With the popularity of trading cards has taken off since the year 2020 as the growth has been more than steady in every year since then. With Crow-Armstrong looking like he’s set to win the NL MVP, the market for his cards is going to a whole new level. And one just broke a record.

Pete Crow-Armstrong rookie patch sets record

Right now, Crow-Armstrong’s rookie cards are taking off as a hot item. But one that recently sold broke the record for most expensive PCA cards.

Per Sports Card Investor, the 2024 Topps Dynasty Gold Pete Crow-Armstrong Rookie Patch Auto 1-of-1 just sold for $66,000 on Fanatics Collect, making it his most expensive sale ever.  Rookie patch cards are a hot item but the 1-of-1 version is the grail that everyone was after.

The seller of the card also made a pretty penny thanks to Crow-Armstrong’s success. Just back in July 2025, the same card sold on Fanatics Collect for $26,700. That’s a jump of close to $40,000 in a year.

A NEW RECORD FOR PCA CARDS

The 2024 Topps Dynasty Gold Pete Crow-Armstrong Rookie Patch Auto 1-of-1 just sold for $66,000 on Fanatics Collect, making it his most expensive sale ever. 

This same card sold for $26.7K back in July 2025, a $39.3K jump in just over a year pic.twitter.com/lWNaCRCEI9

— Sports Card Investor (@SportsCardInv) August 29, 2026

There’s no telling what that card will be worth if he does win the NL MVP. It could go up even more if Crow-Armstrong can continue this success into next season and beyond.

It’s not just rookie cards that are catching fire, either. Insert cards, variants, and numbered cards among others are also taking off. The price for his “Homefield Advantage” cards both rookie and non are also on the move.

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