Andrew Wright

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images What a roller coaster of a season it has been for the Chicago Cubs. Two ten-game winning streaks and a ten-game losing streak within the first two months of the season, a 23-3 win directly followed by a 17-1 loss, and so many more ebbs and flows to go along with it. When you wrap all that up into a ball and analyze it, Chicago is 56-43 entering Monday's three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Let's dive into where that stands in relation to the National League playoff picture. Prior to any of Monday's action, the Los Angeles Dodgers hold a 0.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record not only in the National League, but in all of baseball. Los Angeles sits at 63-37, with Milwaukee ever so close behind at 62-37. The Cubs 56-43 record is the fourth best in the National League, just 1.5 games worse than the Atlanta Braves who lead the NL East with a 57-41 record. If the postseason were to begin today, this is what the playoff bracket would look like. 6. St. Louis Cardinals vs. 3. Atlanta Braves 5. Philadelphia Phillies vs. 4. Chicago Cubs St. Louis is one of three teams tied for the third and final NL Wild Card spot (alongside the Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates); three more clubs are within 2.5 games of that trio, with those being the Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres. So, with all of the current playoff and standing situations laid out, what does Chicago need to do to improve its chances of holding onto one of those spots? The answer to that seems pretty simple on the surface, and it's very clearly to improve the pitching staff. The Cubs have been decimated with injuries to both the starting rotation and bullpen this season but are still 13 games over .500 despite it. Injuries to Cade Horton, Justin Steele, Ben Brown, Matthew Boyd, Daniel Palencia, Hunter Harvey and so many others have caused the Chicago front office to do deep diving to find pitching help throughout the season. Making moves to help the pitching staff are clearly the route the front office needs to take at the trade deadline. When looking around at lineups for the teams Chicago will need to shut down in order to be successful, there are some seriously dangerous left-handed power bats. The likes of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, Alec Burleson are all currently part of teams in playoff position. Adding at least one more left-handed pitcher to either the starting rotation or the bullpen may be the smartest thing to do. Caleb Thielbar as the high-leverage lefty reliever this season hasn't worked out great, so another option for the late innings would be advisable. The front office could also be ultra-aggressive and throw the farm at the Detroit Tigers to try and acquire Tarik Skubal to be the anchor of the rotation for the rest of the season. Whatever the decisions ultimately end up being, pitching is what Chicago will need to stay competitive in a loaded National League playoff picture for the remainder of the season. View full article

Image courtesy of © Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The 2026 MLB Draft has officially wrapped up and much like the theme of rounds 6-10, the Chicago Cubs had a heavy focus on adding pitching depth to their minor-league system. Here's key information to know about the 10 players drafted to round out Chicago's 2026 draft class. Round #11 - RHP, Ariston Veasey, Clemson Veasey was used out of the bullpen for Clemson during the 2026 season and was solid in the process. His mid-90s fastball helped him pitch to a 3.29 ERA and a 32.2K% in 20 appearances. Veasey also features a slider than induced nearly a 60% whiff rate, as well as a 12-6 curveball that he'll occasionally spin up to the plate. Round #12 - LHP, Brandon Arvidson, Tennessee Arvidson is a strikeout machine. Over the previous two seasons at Tennessee, he's punched out 114 batters across 76 innings pitched. His fastball sits in the mid-90's, and it plays well with the swing-and-miss slider that he features. He did miss some time in 2026 with an injury, so keeping track of that will be important for his development. Round #13 - C, Emanuel Hernandez, Puerto Rico Hernandez hails from Puerto Rico and was a member of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy. According to Baseball America, he's the No. 2 ranked Puerto Rican player in his class. Hernandez is a Miami of Ohio signee, so his decision to pursue to the college or professional route will be one to watch over the coming days/weeks. Round #14 - SS, Corey Nunez, UC Santa Barbara Nunez will join his Santa Barbara teammate Cole Tryba in the minor-league system after Tryba was selected by the Cubs in the 7th round. Nunez had a stellar senior season that saw him slash .280/.361/.393 with nine double, three triples, two home runs and 15 RBIs. Most impressive of all, Nunez had just an 11.5% strikeout rate. Round #15 - RHP, Griffin Naess, Cal Poly Naess is a tall, lanky right-hander at 6'6" and strikeouts are the name of his game. Despite his 4.63 ERA last season, Naess punched out 97 batters in 91 1/3 innings. He features an upper-80s fastball, and he'll seldom mix in a curveball and slider, but it's his changeup that he relies heavily on, as it was his best strikeout pitch during the season. Round #16 - RHP, Ashton Pocol, Florida Golf Coast Pocol came out of the bullpen for Florida Golf Coast and was dominant while doing so. A three-pitch mix that includes a fastball, slider and curveball helped the right-hander rack up a 36.8% strikeout rate. Pocol is steadily in the zone with all three pitches, as shown by his walk rate of just 7.4%. The development of a fourth pitch or an increase in velocity will be a huge part of his development. Round #17 - RHP, Ryan Marton, UNLV Marton is a bulky 6'4", 230-pound right-hander from Ontario that spent his 2026 collegiate season at UNLV. Marton pitched both in the starting rotation and out of the bullpen, posting a 6.16 ERA across 13 outings. The swing-and-miss numbers weren't great, as he punched out just 22 batters and walked nine across 19 innings. Marton recently committed to the University of Missouri, so he'll have a choice to make between the pros and another year of college. Round #18 - RHP, Luke McGrath, James Madison McGrath pitched 28 times across two college seasons, including 24 last year. He posted a 5.79 ERA with 28 strikeouts across 28 innings. His fastball sits in the low-90s, and he pairs it with multiple off-speed pitches. He did walk 20 batters in 28 innings, so command of the strike zone will need to improve in the minor leagues. Round #19 - RHP, Luke Guth, Vanderbilt Back-to-back Lukes in Rounds 18 & 19 for the Cubs, as the Vanderbilt product will likely sign after entering the transfer portal and still having yet to announce a commitment. Guth lives in the low-90's with his fastball, as well as featuring a mid-80's slider and a looping, low-70s curveball. Round #20 - 1B, Brennan Hudson, Georgia The final selection of the 2026 MLB Draft for the Cubs was used on Georgia first baseman Brennan Hudson. Hudson has major power, as he launched 38 home runs in his collegiate career, including 22 in his senior season. His plate discipline is a plus, as he struck out 109 times compared to 81 walks during his college career. A career OPS of 1.099 from an SEC program at pick No. 607 feels like excellent value for Chicago. View full article

Image courtesy of Gopher Sports Athletics Rounds 6-10 of the MLB Draft have concluded, and the Chicago Cubs added five new players to go along with their five selections on Day 1 of the draft. Here's key information to know about the five players drafted by Chicago on Day 2 (we've analyzed the team's fifth-round pick, Dylan Blomker, in his own article here). Round #6 - RHP, Isaac Morton, Minnesota Morton is a 6'3" right-hander that spent two seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to Minnesota for the final season of his collegiate career. Morton was drafted once in 2023 in the 19th round by the Milwaukee Brewers but chose to take the college route. He sits around 93-95 mph with his fastball, as well as including a slider, cutter and changeup. Morton has struggled with injuries, suffering damaged tendons in 2023 and blowing out his arm in his final collegiate start in 2026, meaning he likely won't see professional action until the end of the 2027 season. Round #7 - LHP, Cole Tryba, UC Santa Barbara Chicago stuck with its run of pitchers in the seventh round when selecting left-hander Cole Tryba out of UC Santa Barbara. Tryba is unique with his lower, funky arm slot that worked when pitching in relief at Santa Barbara. He pitched to a 3.50 ERA with 57 strikeouts across 43 2/3 innings last season on a team that advanced into Regionals. Tryba also features a slurve and cutter that he uses as put away pitches. His teammate, Jackson Flora, got all the pre-draft hype, but there's some that believe the skillsets for the two aren't as far apart as their draft positions would suggest. Round #8 - RHP, Lance Williams, Maryland Another round, another pitcher selected for the Cubs, this time with it being Lance Williams out of Maryland. Williams transferred to Maryland after spending time at East Carolina and he has an electric fastball that consistently sits at 95-96 and can get up near triple digits. He pitched out of the bullpen and in the starting rotation for the Terps and had a couple bad outings balloon his season ERA up to a 6.16 at season's end. More command of the strike zone will be a big part of Williams' development. Round #9 - RHP, Chase Meyer, West Virginia Meyer has struggled to get on the mound in his collegiate career, as he collected just 51 1/3 innings over the last two season, with 48 of those coming in 2025. He has a mid-90's fastball to go along with a power curveball that he uses as his strikeout pitch. His strikeout numbers are impressive, as he racked up 68 over two seasons. Much like Morton, health will be a key part of his development and success. Round #10 - RHP, Luke Alwood, Seattle University A native of Japan, Alwood stands at 6'5" and spent all four years of his collegiate career at Seattle. Alwood struggle in his time there, going 6-15 with a 7.19 ERA across 62 appearances and 26 starts. He sits around 92-94 mph with his fastball and also features a slider that can be used as a strikeout pitch. Alwood completes rounds 6-10 for the Cubs, a stretch in which they selected five collegiate pitchers. It seems Jed Hoyer has a type. View full article

The Chicago Cubs have selected Carson Jasa the with No. 98 overall pick in the MLB draft. Slot value for the selection is $800,000. Jasa went 10-2 with a 3.59 ERA across 87 2/3 innings pitched for Nebraska last season. He limited opponents to just a .204 average last season and posted a 30.4% strikeout rate. Jasa used his fastball just 28% of the time last season, but that was because opponents struggled mightily against his off-speed pitches last season, managing just six hits and punching out 81 times against his curveball. His player profile from MLB.com says the following about his talents. "Jasa averages 96 mph and reaches 98 with his fastball, but it lacks life and command and tends to get hit harder than would be expected, so he has used it just 28 percent of the time this spring. He leans much more on a tight upper-80s slider that tops out at 91 and plays well off his best pitch, a downer 78-82 mph curveball. Opponents went 6-for-111 (.054) with 81 strikeouts against his curve in 2026. Though he doesn't employ his low-80s changeup very often and has difficulty landing it for strikes, it shows promising tumble and fade at its best. Jasa has much better feel for his breaking balls than his dead-zone fastball, and while his control has improved, it's still below average. That means he comes with a good deal of reliever risk, though he also has huge upside as a starter if a team can help him improve his ability to shape and locate his heater. He's athletic and has improved tremendously in college, leading to hope he can continue to do so at the next level." View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images With the No. 62 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs have selected Caden Sorrell. The slot value for pick No. 62 is $1,487,200. Sorrell had an outstanding 2026 season, posting a .341/.434/.743 slash line, good for an OPS of 1.177. It was a slight decrease in production from his 2025 season when he had an OPS of 1,219, but it was the power that increased, as he went from 12 home runs in 2025 to 23 in 2026. He quadrupled his double total from 5 in 2025 to 20 in 2026. Here's what our draft expert Jamie Cameron had to say about Sorrell: "Sorrell was a good prep prospect in 2023 but opted to attend Texas A&M. Fast-forward three years and he's got some first-round caliber tools.. Sorrell's offensive skillset is geared towards damage and loft, a potent combination. It's excellent bat speed from the left side of the plate, as he was a productive hitter in both of his first two collegiate seasons, despite being derailed by some nagging injuries. "There are some weaknesses to exploit, though, offensively. Sorrell does have some bat-to-ball issues, which, when combined with his propensity to chase, can lead to him wracking up significant strikeout totals. He has a plus arm and is an above-average runner. It's likely a corner outfield profile long term, but with those additional tools, he has a chance to be a plus right fielder. In 56 games in 2026, Sorrell managed a .341/.434/.743 line with 23 home runs (44 XBH), a 12.5 BB%, a 23 K%, and a 149 wRC+." Sorrell will join a Cubs system that features outfield prospects such as Josiah Hartshorn, Ethan Conrad and Kane Kepley. It'll be a tough uphill battle to surpass those names, especially the scorching-hot Hartshorn. With both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki being impending free agents, though, Chicago has made a focal point to boast its outfield prospects in the previous two drafts. View full article

Image courtesy of © Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images After a horrendous month of May for the Chicago Cubs offense, the bats picked it back up in the month of June. Chicago rolled to a 16-10 record throughout the month, including winning eight of their last nine games. The June success can be attributed to timely pitching from unlikely heroes, as well as stellar offensive performances from the following players. Ranking Cubs' Best Hitters in June Honorable Mention: Carson Kelly .259/.365/.444, 2 HR, 13 RBIs Kelly has consistently put up some of the best numbers in the Cubs lineup so far in 2026. He entered July hitting .281 on the season, but a lack in power may be causing him to not get the appropriate recognition. Kelly hit his first two home runs since the month of April, as well as driving in 13 runs, fourth most on the team in June. While the power doesn't necessarily need to come back for Kelly, it would sure be a welcome sight to see yet another option in the Cubs lineup that could get near the 15-20 home runs mark prior to the end of the season. #3: Dansby Swanson .247/.301/.541, 6 HR, 22 RBIs Let us never forget the insane four-game series Dansby Swanson had against the New York Mets in June. Swanson drove in 15 runs in a two-day span and 11 in just one single day. That stretch helped Swanson set the franchise record for most RBIs in a series against the Mets. The power came back again for Swanson in June, as he had two multi-home run games (Jun. 24, Jun. 30) and was second on the team in June with six long balls (a trend he has carried over into July). The season has still overall been a struggle for Swanson, as his average sat at just .203 entering July. Production from the shortstop at the bottom of the Chicago lineup will be gravely important for the success of the Cubs through the summer months and into postseason baseball. #2: Seiya Suzuki .315/.388/.551, 5 HR, 20 RBI After hitting just .190 in the month of May, Suzuki turned back into the outstanding hitter he's been since coming to Chicago from Japan. Just think about the stretch Suzuki had to end June: homer off of Jacob Misiorowski, homer off of Kyle Harrison, massive go-ahead single against Joel Kuhnel, and near-homer and walk-off hit against Mason Miller, all within a span of four days. Suzuki continuously came up clutch for Chicago in June and was one of the biggest parts of the team's hot stretch in the last nine games. Suzuki remains the second-most dangerous hitter in the Cubs lineup and is lining himself up for a nice payday when free agency rolls around in November. #1: Pete Crow-Armstrong .381/.468/.781, 11 HR, 20 RBI Yes, everyone very well remembers Sammy Sosa smashing 20 home runs in June of 1998. Many consider that to be the best singular month in Cubs history. However, Crow-Armstrong just gave Sosa a spirited challenge with the month of June that the 24-year-old superstar had. Crow-Armstrong was an unstoppable force, smashing two triples, five doubles, eight stolen bases. 11 home runs, his first career cycle, and a career high for walks in a month with 17. According to OPTA Stats, the center fielder was one of just three players in MLB history to have a month with the following stats: .375+ batting average .775+ slugging percentage 80+ total bases 15+ walks 10+ home runs 5+ stolen bases The company Crow-Armstrong joined with those stats? Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, two of the greatest to ever play the game. Crow-Armstrong also leads all position players in WAR at 5.1, just ahead of Bobby Witt Jr. It's obvious that he (nor anyone) can't replicate that success for a full season, but even a lesser version of that player for the remainder of the season will place him in not only MVP conversations, but "best player in the world" discussions. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images After a slow 7-9 start to the season, the Chicago Cubs bounced back in a major way. The North Siders won 12 of their next 15 games and headed into May with a 19-12 record. All of the focus from March & April was on the Cubs offense, as it ranked near the top of the league in almost every major category. What didn't get a ton of recognition, though, was a Chicago pitching staff that felt like it lost another member with every passing day. Manager Craig Counsell and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy deserve quite the praise for getting the staff through an early stretch of the season that included games against the Phillies, Dodgers and Padres. While contributions from the entire rotation and bullpen led the Cubs to seven games over .500, the four pitchers below did the best work through the first 31 games of the season. Ranking Cubs' Best Pitchers in April Honorable Mention: Riley Martin Stats: 8 G, 2.16 ERA, 8.1 IP, 2 BB, 10K Martin was activated to make his MLB debut in early April, and he impressed in doing so. He quickly turned into a high-leverage reliever for Counsell, and he made the most of each opportunity. His most impressive work may have very well been getting out of a bases-loaded jam against the Phillies in the middle of the Cubs' big winning streak. Unfortunately for Martin, he's suffered an injury and is currently one of 12 Chicago pitchers on the injured list. He will certainly be a welcome addition when he returns to the staff. #3: Edward Cabrera Stats: 6 GS, 3.06 ERA, 35.1 IP, 12 BB, 29 K Cabrera was the big offseason acquisition for Chicago in the offseason. He was acquired from the Miami Marlins in exchange for then-top prospect Owen Caissie and others. Though Cabrera has been a bit shaky of late, his 3.06 ERA is the second-best for a Cubs' starter so far this season, trailing only behind our No. 1 pitcher of the month. Cabrera's advanced aren't quite as positive as his surface-level results, so that'll be something to keep an eye on in the month of May. #2: Ben Brown Stats: 10 G, 1.99 ERA, 22.2 IP, 7 BB, 22 K What a world we live in where an argument could be made that Ben Brown has been the best pitchers for the Cubs through the first month-plus of the year. The beleaguered right-hander has found success with a newly added sinker and added fastball velocity this season. Last season, Brown's fastball averaged 95.8 mph, but this year that number is back up to 96.5 mph. Opponents are hitting just .210 against Brown overall, and just .135 against his knuckle curve. His ability to provide length out of the bullpen during the current stretch with numerous injured pitchers has been instrumental to Chicago's early season success. #1: Shota Imanaga Stats: 6 GS, 2.88 ERA, 34. 1 IP, 9 BB, 38 K We all remember how poorly Imanaga pitched in the second half and the postseason in 2025. Those struggles nearly led to him not even being a part of the Cubs' roster in 2026. It is certainly a good thing that the front office (sort of) still believed in Imanaga's ability, because he's been huge to the 19-12 start. Much like the aforementioned Brown, Imanaga's fastball velocity is up from last season, a major reason for his success. Batters are hitting a lousy .171 against Imanaga this season, a number that would be the lowest of his MLB career if it were to hold up. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images It's been a little over a month since our first 2026 roster projection for the Chicago Cubs, and there's been some notable changes since then. No major offensive additions have been made, but Jed Hoyer and Co. have made strong attempts to field another great bullpen next season. With all of the team's new additions accounted for, here is the second prediction at the Cubs' Opening Day roster. Pitchers (13) Shota Imanaga - SP Matthew Boyd - SP Cade Horton - SP Jameson Taillon - SP Colin Rea - SP Javier Assad - RP Phil Maton - RP Caleb Thielbar - RP Porter Hodge - RP Hoby Milner - RP Jacob Webb - RP Hunter Harvey - RP Daniel Palencia - RP The additions of Milner, Harvey and Webb all happened since our first projection. Those three likely signal that pitchers such as Luke Little, Ethan Roberts and others will begin the season with Triple-A Iowa. Also, not included on the list is Justin Steele. Steele is slated to return near the summer months of the season, and he will certainly be a factor down the stretch in the rotation. For now, the big question is who will win the No. 5 starter job in a fierce competition among Colin Rea, Javier Assad, Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and top prospect Jaxon Wiggins. Catchers (2) Carson Kelly Miguel Amaya Nothing significant has changed at catcher. Chicago did sign Christian Bethancourt to a split contract, but he will likely be a non-factor on the major-league roster unless Amaya or Kelly is injured during the season. Infielders (5) Michael Busch - 1B Tyler Austin - 1B Nico Hoerner - 2B Dansby Swanson - SS Matt Shaw - 3B In our first prediction, we guessed that the Cubs would add utility man Luis Urias for the fifth infielder spot. That is no longer the case with the addition of 34-year-old Tyler Austin. Austin has spent the previous six seasons in Japan and will likely be the platoon option at first base with Busch. Outfielders (5) Ian Happ Pete Crow-Armstrong Seiya Suzuki Owen Caissie Kevin Alcantara We predicted Rob Refsnyder to be on the North Side in our first edition of the roster projection, but that can no longer be true as he headed out West to Seattle. There doesn't seem to be much traction surrounding the Cubs and available outfielders — save for some loose rumors connecting them back to Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker — so we're likely headed toward Caissie and Alcantara getting those two reserve outfield spots. Designated Hitter (1) Moises Ballesteros No change here, as it seems likely that Ballesteros and Suzuki will have some sort of platoon situation going at DH depending on the pitching matchups and what happens with Caissie in spring training. These predictions are always subject to change with major offseason acquisitions, but as of now, this is our best guess at what the team will look like come Opening Day against the Washington Nationals. Do you think we missed anybody? Let us know in the comments below! View full article