This year was supposed to be different for the Chicago Cubs, and it had every reason to be. But after getting kicked out in the big game in the first round against the San Diego Padres, it’s time for the Cubs to reevaluate.
After getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2025 NLDS, this Cubs team is looking for redemption in 2026. And just like last season, a meeting with the Padres was the thing separating them from the NLDS rematch with Milwaukee. But there will be no connection to this case, as the Cubs have just been swept by the Padres in a dominant fashion. In the process they showed that they are not close to what they want the team to be.
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“Look, you’ve got to take your losses. We lost,” Cubs manager Craig Counselor told reporters after his team’s release. “The response is to choose what you receive, and it is necessary to improve. Everyone can point to himself and say that we need to be a little better. Then we choose how to respond to him.”
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If things went wrong in Chicago, there’s a lot of blame to go around. But all the time the cubs were having a grim outcome. On the flip side, the Cubs just weren’t good enough to go down the stretch, and were temporarily transferred. Chicago was praised at the trade deadline for being able to rebuild an injury-riddled rotation and put the team in the second half with the acquisitions of Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes and even David Peterson, who was added in late June.
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The impact the cubs had hoped for from those new weapons never materialized. Gausman settled for a 4.43 ERA in September, and Holmes is working hard, with an 8.24 ERA over the last month of the season. Holmes, to whom the Cubs gave No. 2 prospect Jefferson Rojas at the deadline, never appeared during the Cubs’ two-game layoff. Edward Cabrera’s right-hander, whom the Cubs traded for No. 1 prospect Owen Caissie last offseason, wasn’t even on the team’s wild-card roster.
With the Cubs in flux every season, things weren’t much better on the bullpen, as Council could never lean on a reliable reliever for several weeks. Like Gausman and Holmes, the fateful acquisition of Ryan Zeferjahn sank out of the pen, sporting a 4.50 ERA in 20 appearances down the stretch.
Another huge issue for the Cubs as a staff was prone to giving up home runs. Chicago has allowed the second-most runs in the MLB season since they gave up four runs in their two wild games against the Padres, no surprise.
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While the Cubs will take the blame for this abrupt footfall, the sheer size of the team can suddenly be no fault. Led by prospective NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs led baseball in runs scored and third in homers. But when it matters most, that high-profile offense hasn’t shown up in two postseason games against San Diego. Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman went a combined 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts, and Chicago’s lineup managed just one run throughout the two games.
Even in the regular season, the Cubs were arguably the loudest team in baseball in 2026. With two 10-game winning streaks and a 10-game losing streak, unlikely was the name of the game for Chicago. The worst thing that can happen is shown in the wild round card.
So where do the cubs go from here?
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Chicago has tried to increase its number in recent years and remains to build around a solid group of position players. But after back-to-back disappointing exits from the Eros, it’s clearly not working. And with several position players set to become free agents this winter, notably long-time outfielders Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, change could be on the horizon.
But the biggest thing the Cubs need to solve for this offseason is finding a real impact on their rotation. This team needs Ace who can put a contender on their shoulders. Among the injuries and underperformances in 2026, the Cubs’ starters were, even at best, average to a tick above average. And as they found out the hard way, it simply isn’t enough to make the playoffs.
To make things even more complicated, many of the weapons are coming out of Chicago. Gausman, Holmes, Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga are all free. There remains a question about the health of Justin Steele and Cabrera. Cade Horton will not be back by Open Day. Who is going to this team next spring? President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and Co. it needs to be like that, and soon.
While simply making plays is enough for some teams, the Cubs should look around for early results like the ones they endured this week as they raise the call. Perhaps the reversal of the inconvenience will be enough to force some change.