Paul Niemiec

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Mother Nature and the Chicago Cubs seem to think otherwise, but we are in the midst of summer. The Fourth of July is around the corner and the Cubs currently sit at 41-37, 7.5 games out of first in the NL Central. They're tied with the Padres for the final Wild Card spot, narrowly behind the Cardinals and Phillies for the top two berths and barely ahead of the Nationals and Marlins. The early season juggernaut has been crippled by pitching injuries and extended slumps from their offensive stars not named Pete Crow-Armstrong. The good news is that Matthew Boyd is nearly ready to go again, and that Crow-Armstrong leads baseball (non-Ohtani division) in wins above replacement. The bad news is that Edward Cabrera went down with a bad hamstring strain on Tuesday night in Queens, and could be lost for quite a while. More bad news is that the Cubs’ next three matchups after this tussle with the Mets are against Milwaukee, San Diego and St. Louis. The time to gain some ground was earlier this month, but they could barely tread water, going 6-6 against Colorado and San Francisco. Technically, facing these three teams is an opportunity to make up for lost time. Non-technically, the team is only now sloshing back into form, and the pitching staff feels way too thin to get them through such a crucial stretch right on the heels of playing four games in three days in New York. The Cubs offense looked great over the weekend at home against the Blue Jays. We hope this is a turning point and they can start mashing themselves into frequent wins again, but their struggles of late have gotten the rumor mill turning. One player often mentioned is right fielder and designated hitter Seiya Suzuki, who's in the last year of his contract and is slashing .269/.348/.445, with 10 homers and 1.7 fWAR. If the Cubs do decide to trade him in either a move to re-tool for next season, or a creative trade to acquire pitching for this season, he would be one of the top right-handed bats on the market. The Cubs, hopefully, will be in a position where they can demand a decent return, but he won't fetch any top-tier prospects. Here are five teams who would make solid trade partners if the Cubs do decide to explore a deal. Padres Another early season powerhouse who has fallen back to earth after a terrific April, the Padres have not been getting the results they're paying for from their star players. Xander Bogaerts has a .659 OPS, Jackson Merrill’s is .631, Fernando Tatis Jr. only has two home runs, and Manny Machado has 14 bombs but is hitting only .185. Tatis has been filling in at second base for the injured Jake Cronenworth, leaving two revolving doors in the outfield next to Merrill, because Ramón Laureano is on the 60-day IL. The Padres are currently playing Jase Bowen and Samad Taylor nearly every day. [Editor's note: I had to check, too, but no, he's not making up Jase Bowen. That's a real person.] While Taylor has hit well, Lord (not Brad) knows how sustainable that is. Although Suzuki has gone through his own struggles this season, his arrival would immediately take some pressure off their underperforming stars and provide some much-needed right-handed pop. As for a return, the Cubs should not be asking for teenagers or low-level lottery ticket guys. Anything they get for Suzuki should help them in the very near term. The problem is that the Padres’ top prospect list is littered with players in the low minors. An interesting name is right-handed reliever Garrett Hawkins, who has a mid-90s fastball with significant movement. He's still working on developing a consistent secondary pitch. He will issue walks but profiles as a big-league reliever, should he continue to make adjustments. The Padres might also be willing to part with a reliever on their big-league roster in order to help out the offense. The 22-year-old Bradgley Rodriguez is a high-upside, controllable piece, although that might make him the toughest to acquire. Adrian Morejon or Ron Marinaccio are both having good, but not great, seasons and could be a target for the Cubs, as well. Trading Suzuki for nothing but relief help would hit like a jab to the ribs, but since the Cubs have failed to develop their own pipeline of talented arms, they're going to have to overpay for some, one way or another. Phillies As is true with the Padres, the Cubs may be hesitant to move Suzuki to a team they hope to be directly competing with in the Wild Card race, but what if the team that sits dead last in outfielder fWAR makes them an offer they can’t refuse? The Phillies acquired reserve outfielder Derek Hill from the White Sox last week, which shows their desperation to find any workable solution. Adolis Garcóa is now on the 60-day IL, which leaves them with rookie Justin Crawford, who has been disappointing. Luckily, Brandon Marsh is having the best season of his career with 10 homers and an .833 OPS, but their lefty-heavy lineup needs some support from the right side. Could the Cubs ask for an outfielder in return? Gabriel Rincones Jr. is currently on the Phillies’ major-league roster, but is 1-19 and would benefit from more time in the minors. The Cubs have enough outfield depth options to afford to send Rincones back to the minors even after a Suzuki trade; Matt Shaw would take over in right. If the 25-year-old is able to tap into his raw power consistently, he could become a 30+ home run threat. That's not that likely, given how slowly he's developed, but he could be one piece in a deal. The closer for the Double-A Reading Phillies, Alex McFarlane, has a 2.08 ERA across 26 innings and has a fastball-slider combo that can play in the big leagues this season. Young righty Moisés Chace is another interesting option. He is recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he has a full arsenal of effective pitches. His mid-90s fastball, combined with a sweeper, changeup, and cutter, give Chace a reliever floor with potential starter upside. He could break into the big leagues next season. Yankees A decade after the Cubs and Yankees pulled off the biggest blockbuster of 2016, could they be in a position to do it again this season? Well, not exactly. A Suzuki trade would not be considered a blockbuster, but the Yankees are in need of outfield help with Aaron Judge down for a significant portion of the summer. With Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham joining Judge on the IL, Cody Bellinger is sharing outfield duties with Jasson Dominguez and sub-.700 OPS, light-hitting utility player Max Schuemann, and extremely flawed, (technically) extremely talented quasi-prospect Spencer Jones. The Yankees are another team whose lineup leans very left-handed, especially while missing Judge and Stanton. The 38-year-old Paul Goldschmidt is playing like an All-Star again, but only in a very limited role. He is nearly the entirety of the team’s right-handed production. The Yankees’ farm system is littered with pitching, even if Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange are off the table. Their 2024 first rounder, Ben Hess, could be an intriguing name for the Cubs to target. The burly 6-foot-5 righthander has drawn comparisons to Lance Lynn, but control issues have kept him from reaching his full potential. He has issued 16 walks in 21 2/3 innings in Double-A this season. With Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Max Fried under large contracts, Cam Schlittler emerging as one of the top arms in the game, and guys like Will Warren and Ryan Weathers in the fold, the Yankees may not see a path to the majors for Hess. One last name to think of here is 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil. Since winning the award, he has dealt with ineffectiveness and injuries, making him a great change of scenery candidate. Guardians Now that their lineup is missing all three of José Ramírez, Chase DeLauter, and Angel Martínez, it's safe to say they have the worst lineup in baseball. Even when they were healthy, their offense really wasn't anything for opposing pitchers to worry about. They are 23rd in wRC+, 25th in home runs, and 26th in runs scored. Rookie Travis Bazzana is doing all he can, as he is now the default best hitter on the team, but the punch is basically nonexistent. Steven Kwan is in the worst slump of his career, which began last season, and the right-handed power bat is the ghost of Rhys Hoskins. With all due respect to David Fry, Petey Halpin and Stuart Fairchild, they need another competent hitter in the outfield if they want to gain any significant ground on the White Sox and the suddenly surging Tigers. Traditionally, the Guardians’ pitching is what carries them through the season until their inevitable October demise, but if they are serious about making noise in the playoffs, they need a right-handed bat. With the bullpen being a big strength of this team, anchored by closer Cade Smith, they may be willing to part with a reliever on the major-league roster as well as a mid-range prospect. Veteran righties Colin Holderman and Shawn Armstrong are having strong seasons, as is lefty Erik Sabrowski. It would be fair for the Cubs to ask for one of these guys in return, but if they want to add another outfielder, they can target 21-year-old Jaison Chourio, the younger brother of Jackson. He had a down year in 2025 which caused him to drop off the back end of top-100 prospect lists, but he has a .942 OPS with Double-A Arkansas this season and should be worthy of a major-league look sometime in 2027. This is the kind of player the Guardians usually hate to move, but with the number of suitors for Suzuki, the Cubs can afford to force Cleveland to pay up. Blue Jays The Blue Jays have a nice little outfield of Nathan Lukes, Jesús Sánchez, and Daulton Varsho, but the nearly 37-year-old George Springer is probably best left as a platoon player, rather than the primary DH for a team trying to defend the AL title—even if he is second on the team in home runs, with eight. The Yankees and Rays are both legit contenders, so the Blue Jays can’t afford to sit around and hope Vladimir Guerrero Jr. starts to hit with power again. They have also been without a healthy Addison Barger for most of the season, so rookie Yohendrick Piñango (old friend alert!) had been a major piece of their roster before he was optioned this week. He was hitting .283 with a .764 OPS, good enough to be a table setter, but would hardly scare a pitching staff in the postseason. The Blue Jays wouldn’t be in this conversation if Anthony Santander, who signed a five-year deal before last season, was dependable. There are reports that he is working his way back, but he was awful in the 54 games he played last season, slashing .175/.271/.294. The point is, it would make the most sense for Toronto to be aggressive as anyone in a Suzuki pursuit. The Blue Jays have a strong farm system that is loaded with high-upside arms like Johnny King, Ricky Tiedemann, and Gage Stanifer, but with an aging rotation at the big-league level, they might not feel inclined to trade from that bunch. However, they have a 25-year-old righty named Jake Bloss who touches the high 90s on his fastball and boasts a curveball/slider combo that could work great in a bullpen role. He is currently recovering from elbow surgery, but is expected to be back this season. Depending on the handedness the Cubs are looking for, lefty Mason Fluharty and righty Spencer Miles have FIPs under 3.40 and come with years of team control, so either one of them could be a fair ask, along with Bloss. If they’re looking for a throw-in player with some upside and positional versatility, Charles McAdoo was also just sent down. He can play first, third, and the corner outfield spots and can turn into a nice right-handed bench bat or even a starting option in right. View full article

I've always said this guy is a reliever, and he could be a really good one.

Image courtesy of © Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs’ bullpen construction this season was no different than what we have traditionally seen from the Jed Hoyer-Carter Hawkins group since they took over the job from Theo Epstein. Once again, they opted to sign a bunch of cheaper options in the hopes that they'd be able to coax more from players with MLB experience. It worked last year, but injuries and underperformance have reminded us fans how frustrating it is to go through the season without a shut down reliever. Well, I am not writing here to tell you all about a stud reliever the Cubs can go get for pennies, but there was a flier-worthy arm designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels this week, and that was old friend Drew Pomeranz. The Cubs signed the then-36-year-old, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2021, to a minor-league contract last season and it somehow turned out to be one of the best moves they made. In 49 2/3 innings, Pomeranz pitched to a 2.17 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP while striking out 57 batters (although his xERA of 3.48 showed he was lucky at times). Him and the other ageless lefty, Caleb Thielbar, were inexplicably one of the best left-handed relief duos in the game. In 2020, when he was converted to a full-time reliever with the Padres, Pomeranz stopped using his tertiary pitches completely like the changeup, cutter, and sinker. He has since used his four-seam roughly 75% of the time, mixing it with a knuckle curve, to become a pure two-pitch pitcher. Since simplifying the pitch mix and moving to the 'pen, his average xERA in the three seasons he’d pitched (2020, 2021, 2025) before heading to L.A. was 2.82. Another two interesting related points for Pomeranz’s 2025 were his BB/9 and his first pitch strike percentage; he threw a first pitch strike nearly 66% of the time, which coincides with his 2.7 BB/9, the lowest of his career outside of his 18-inning debut season. His renaissance in Chicago allowed him to find a major-league deal with the Halos this past offseason, but his tenure with he Angels was nothing like what we saw with the Cubs a year ago. In 23 1/3 innings, Pomeranz posted a 5.01 ERA, a 1.59 WHIP, and only 16 strikeouts. His walk percentage is way up, with his BB/9 at 4.6/9, which is the second-highest mark of his career. His strikeout percentage is way down, due to chase and whiff rates that has been nearly sliced in half from a season ago. The whiffs on his knuckle curve have shown a dramatic drop-off, with the percentage falling from 19.8 to 13.6. One of the key contributors to his success with the Cubs was been his ground-ball rate which was just under 40%, which was in-line with his career norms. However, that number plummeted to 26.9% so far in 2026. For a lefty throwing in the low-90s, that's a major issue. He has already given up as many home runs (5) as he did last season, in less than half the innings. On the other hand, his barrel percentage is in the same realm as it was last season, and he is still limiting hard contact to much of the same degree, outside of the homers. Maybe a reunion with Tommy Hottovy and the Cubs’ coaching could bring back more of what we saw last season. With the way the Cubs have played over the last month and a half, there should be no option off the table. Riley Martin should be back soon, but adding Pomeranz back to the mix on a minor-league contract to see if he can find his groove, would not hurt. If he is able to make the necessary tweaks, he should bounce back to some level of success. Having cleared waivers and now been released, he's about as low-risk of a flier as you'll find at this point in the season. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images It may seem like wishful thinking for the Chicago Cubs to be buyers at this point, but a lot can change between now and the trade deadline on August 3. Pete Crow-Armstrong's bat is starting to heat up since he’s been moved to the leadoff spot. Ian Happ is barreling toward his first 30 home run campaign of his career. Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd are (or nearly are) back. Though they have had their struggles this year, they were some of the team’s better projected options coming into the season. Plus, this is a team that made the playoffs a season ago with many of the same key players intact. They’re still over .500, and until they fall well below that mark, you can bet that the front office will not punt on the season. Though the Brewers have once again proved to be the class of the NL Central, the rest of the division is imperfect and could conceivably be steamrolled by this Cubs team... albeit when everything is clicking. The Cubs need to target pitching, some more pitching, and probably an extra pitcher or two just to be safe. Even with the return of Cabrera and Boyd, and the emergence of Ben Brown, they will likely need two dependable starting pitchers. Every contender shops for relievers at the deadline, but the Cubs need about half a bullpen’s worth of them. Southpaws Hoby Milner and Ryan Rolison have been serviceable, but they, combined with the 39-year-old Caleb Thielbar (who has spent time on the IL already), cannot be the top lefty options in the postseason. Daniel Palencia looks great when he pitches, but he has dealt with injuries this year and it looks like Counsell is hesitant to use him too much. Ethan Roberts and Jacob Webb have pitched well from an ERA standpoint, but they aren’t high-leverage guys. The “big” free-agent addition, Phil Maton, has an ERA over seven. If the Cubs intend to make a deep run in the postseason, they probably need another two or even three relievers, with at least one being a bankable high leverage option. On the offensive side, they need to improve internally because there isn’t anywhere to play a new bat unless they want to get really creative. You may see a utility player or a bench bat join the squad, but the Cubs won’t be in on any of the big-name bats on the market. Here are some of the names being mentioned in rumors you won’t see on the list below: Gleyber Torres, Mike Trout, Luis Arraez, C.J. Abrams, Jarren Duran, Byron Buxton, Ryan Jeffers, or any of the Astros’ bats. Chicago Cubs Top Trade Deadline Targets Without further ado, let's get into the players the front office is most likely to (or should be planning to) target this trade season. The Grand Prize: Tarik Skubal Skubal’s return from his loose bodies procedure is seemingly going to happen sooner rather than later, but the Tigers have been one of baseball’s worst teams and are sitting in the cellar of the AL Central. Even the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner is not going to help this team unless he starts every other game. Skubal is also an impending free agent, and he will certainly test the market to attempt to earn the largest contract for a free-agent pitcher in MLB history. Other teams can easily strong-arm the Tigers into moving him, since they aren’t contending and don’t seem to have much of a shot at re-signing him. It would be in the best interest of the team to move him, but they won’t get anything close to the return they could have gotten if he was moved before the season. If we see the Cubs revert to their April ways on offense, there are no excuses as to why they shouldn’t be right in the middle of the Skubal conversations. The Tigers might ask for Shaw or Ballesteros as the headliner, but that’s just the price of doing business. Again, Skubal is only a feasible target if the Cubs start hitting like one of the best in baseball again and have a clear path to the playoffs. The Big Fish: Starters & Relievers Freddy Peralta While it’s not out of the realm of possibilities for the Mets to gain ground in the wild-card race, they are currently at the bottom of the division and a whopping 15 games behind the Braves. Should Peralta, who is another impending free agent, become available, he would be the number two option on the market after Skubal. The 30-year-old has been more good than great this season with a 3.80 xERA, accumulating 1.0 fWAR over 13 starts. The Cubs should be able to acquire Peralta without moving anyone off their major-league roster, but Jefferson Rojas, or last year’s first-round pick Ethan Conrad, could be on the table. Reid Detmers The Angels have been one of the worst teams in baseball, but they never want to embrace a full rebuild. Their M.O. for the past decade and a half has been to get Mike Trout to the playoffs, but that goal seems as far away as it’s ever been. Detmers is currently in his second year of arbitration while making a modest $2.6 million (and, as a Super Two player, he has two more years of team control remaining). He is now back in the rotation after spending all of last season in the bullpen. His xERA is 2.92 and he’s accumulated 2.2 fWAR. He ranks fifth in the AL in strikeouts with 88 across 74 innings. If the Cubs continue to meddle in mediocrity this season, Detmers is a great addition for the future. If they bounce back, he is a great addition for right now. The Angels should be listening on Detmers, but his contract status gives them a ton of leverage in negotiations. Joe Ryan The Cubs have been a logical landing spot for Ryan for some time now, but Minnesota did not want to waive the white flag yet. After a hot start to 2026, the Twins have faded as anticipated, and should be open for business. Byron Buxton and Ryan are their biggest trade chips, and should both be in high demand this summer. Ryan is having an excellent year where he has firmly taken over the best pitcher in the Twin Cities title with Pablo Lopez out for the year; he has a 3.06 xERA and 84 strikeouts. Eight of his 14 starts have been quality starts, and he has already reached 2.1 fWAR. Ryan would be the right-handed starter the Cubs desperately need, but if the Twins view Ballesteros as a catcher long term, that might be their non-negotiable ask, because their current starting catcher Ryan Jeffers could also be out the door. Antonio Senzatela Senzatela was one of the more consistent Rockies starters since he broke into the league in 2017, but dealt with injuries after signing a five-year extension, completely breaking down last season with a 6.97 xERA in 30 games (23 starts). He’s made the transition to the bullpen this year and is finding success with a 3.05 xERA over 36.1 innings. The right-hander is posting the highest K/9 of his career at 7.43, and will certainly be one of the most available relievers this July. He comes with a club option for next season too, which is an added bonus. Senzatela isn’t going to single-handedly fix the Cubs' bullpen, but would be a perfect secondary move if they take a bigger swing on one of these next names. Aroldis Chapman This would be a real fun move. Ten years after the Cubs acquired Chapman from the Yankees, he once again fits their needs almost perfectly. With the American League in shambles as a whole, it is far from certain that Boston is going to sell, but if they do, Chapman would be their most in-demand trade chip. The 38-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down, and has cemented himself back in the best reliever in baseball conversation. He has a 0.46 ERA in 19.2 innings while striking out 26. Should he reach 40 innings pitched, a mutual option worth $13 million would kick in for 2027. Who knows if a reunion is on the table all these years later, but it would make for a fun storyline to follow. Josh Hader Houston may decide to sell at the deadline, which, like Boston, is far from a certainty; it would be marking their first deadline as sellers since the 2016 season. The hot names on the market are SS Jeremy Pena, 1B Christian Walker, and 3B Isaac Parades (with some light mentioning of MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez). The reason why Hader hasn’t been mentioned as much as those other guys is because he just started the season earlier this month. Left bicep tendinitis caused him to miss April and May, and upon returning, he has thrown two scoreless frames so far. Hader is currently in the third year of a five year, $95 million contract that represents the largest present-day value for a reliever ever. The Cubs will have some money coming off the books after this season with Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga, Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ all entering free agency. It's likely they try to bring back either or both of Suzuki and Happ, but the pitchers should be gone. Using some of that money to reunite Hader with his first big-league skipper would be a move for both the present and future. Sandy Alcantara In my opinion, the Cubs should stay far away from Alcantara negotiations unless the Marlins would give him away for a few ballpark hot dogs, but he has been one of the more talked about trade candidates of the last few seasons, so I wouldn’t be doing my job if he didn’t get a mention. The 2022 NL Cy Young winner is on the last season of a five-year extension, but there is a club option for next season worth $21 million. Alcantara has made 14 starts this season and has allowed two or less earned runs in eight of them. He also has four starts where he has given up six or more runs. His xERA on the season is 4.05 and he has been worth 1.3 fWAR, but the Marlins have been reluctant to trade him to this point, and it might not make sense for the Cubs to meet a high asking price for a guy who blows up this frequently. The Role Players: Lesser Pitchers Robbie Ray Buster POBO-sey and the Giants seem to be punting on this season already after they fell flat on their face early on. Starting catcher Patrick Bailey was already moved to Cleveland in a rare May trade. They’ve also announced a willingness to move SS Willy Adames, 3B Matt Chapman and OF Jung-Hoo Lee. Don't doubt that they would be happy to move the 34-year-old Ray as well, as he is in his last year of the five-year deal he signed with the Mariners after the 2021 season. The 2021 AL Cy Young winner is not having a great campaign, but at least he is healthy and making his starts. The 4.12 ERA and 1.40 WHIP is not going to scare teams in the playoffs, but this move would make sense for a team like the Cubs, who have been losing starting pitchers to the IL all season. Michael Wacha The Royals and Tigers were supposed to be right up there with the Guardians in the fight for the AL Central. Baseball is a weird sport, so naturally the White Sox are in second place behind the Guardians, while the Royals and Tigers are hanging out in the cellar. The 34-year-old is having another productive season with a 4.19 xERA and 1.2 fWAR. This is another arm that isn’t going to propel the Cubs to the playoffs, but he should provide quality innings at the back of the rotation. If they add a Joe Ryan, Freddy Peralta, or even a Tarik Skubal, Wacha would be a great secondary move. Pete Fairbanks The Cubs might be wary of taking on another struggling arm, especially with the performance of Phil Maton, who was supposed to be one of their dependable, late-inning options. Fairbanks has a 7.41 ERA, but a 3.59 xERA. He has the highest BB/9 of his career so far, and has the second-highest homer rate trailing only his rookie season. He is on a one-year deal and it shouldn’t take much for the Marlins to move him. This addition would not solve the bullpen crisis, but it would give them another major-league arm to play with. A Mets Reliever or Two If the Mets sell, they could accumulate a real asset or two for some of their relievers. Lefties David Peterson, Brooks Raley, and A.J. Minter should all be available. Righties Huascar Brazoban and Luke Weaver could also find themselves on the trade block. To maximize value, David Stearns likely won’t bundle these pitchers together or package one with Peralta, but there is plenty of value here for the Mets to cash in on. Gus Varland Tier: Gus Varland The Cubs can bring Varland home to Chicago and give him a pretty easy red-line commute to Wrigley Field. After missing the entire 2025 season, Varland is quietly putting together a solid season in the Nationals' pen. His 25 appearances lead the team, and his 3.27 FIP show he is a bit better of a pitcher than his 5.14 xERA indicates. Though the Nationals are flirting with a .500 record, they will certainly be selling off some pieces. After joining the Nats as a waiver claim, he has given them enough value to become an under-the-radar trade chip. Plus, some less knowledgeable fans may think they acquired his brother. View full article

Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs have always been a team of peaks and valleys, going way back to the Joe Maddon days. The Cubs offense could roll out of bed and outhit any team in baseball. Depending on what kind of streak they’re on, however, they could also make a back-end starter look like a Cy Young contender. Right now, nothing seems to be working. Before salvaging two games to split a series in Pittsburgh, they had lost six straight sets. Health issues have caused the pitching staff to rely heavily on minor-league depth to get through the game, and the hitting… well, that's what I am here to talk about. The Cubs snapped their 10-game skid, their longest since 2022, on Wednesday with an offensive explosion in Pittsburgh, and followed that with a good win on getaway night. Broadly, however, they can still be said to be struggling and lacking consistency, especially at bat. Since the first game of the Rangers series beginning on May 8, the Cubs are 26th in baseball in runs scored, 29th in team batting average, 25th in home runs, 28th in OPS, 27th in wRC+... you get the picture. Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson, Moisés Ballesteros, and Nico Hoerner are all hitting under .200 over that span. Happ and Suzuki are striking out in nearly every other at-bat, while combining for four home runs even after Happ hit two to close out his week back at home In Pittsburgh. Even when the Cubs were hitting, they were leaving runners on base at an alarming rate. Below is the list of the top 10 hitters who have stranded the most runners this season: Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs Alex Bregman, Chicago Cubs Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics 6. Nolan Schanuel, Los Angeles Angels 7. Pete Alonso, Baltimore Orioles 8. Daylen Lile, Washington Nationals 9. Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs 10. Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves If we expand this list to the top 20 players, the Braves are the only team with a second player on the list. Here we see Cubs occupying three of the first four spots, and four of the top 10. The silver lining here is that, to drive in runs, you need runners on base, so the Cubs are getting themselves into plenty of innings where they have chances to score. Unsurprisingly, the Cubs also lead baseball in runners left in scoring position per game. Putting more runners on and advancing them is going to naturally create more opportunities to strand them, and the Cubs had no issue getting on base prior to May 8. From Opening Day through May 7 (what I like to refer to as the fun part of the season), the Cubs led baseball with an OBP of .353. They were also leading baseball in walks with 179. Even during this not-so-fun part of the season, the Cubs still have the third-most walks in baseball, though their OBP has fallen to 21st. The perpetually expressionless Craig Counsell has been tinkering with the lineup slightly, but is still penciling in Happ in the cleanup spot, followed by Suzuki, for the majority of games. Bregman, who has been the hottest hitter during this humbling month, seems to be firmly entrenched in the three spot, but for most of this month, Michael Busch has been behind hitters that he shouldn’t be. Top position player prospect Pedro Ramirez is up in the big leagues, but he is 22 and was not projected to be a key part of this season. There's not going to be significant outside help joining the squad to ignite the offense, so there are really only two paths forward: this group gets it together, or they continue to fall to the bottom of the division. Until the pitching gets healthy, they are going to have to hit their way to wins, and that is just not happening. We are Cubs fans here, and while it is warranted to be downright baffled by their recent performance, there is a lot of baseball left to be played, and this is still a team that had two 10-game winning streaks this season. In fact, the 2026 Cubs have joined the 2017 Dodgers as the only teams in baseball history with two 10-game winning streaks and a 10-game losing streak in the same season, so the odds are with them to win the pennant this year. (If only this sport was that simple.) This is still a team that can heat right back up again and start mashing baseballs. Optimistically, there is no chance their underwhelming hitters stay in a season-long slump. Hitting is contagious, and this group has proven they can compete offensively with anyone; it’s going to be a matter of getting their heads right. The Cubs round out the month in St. Louis before the real opportunity to gain some ground. The pesky A’s are in town next week, but that's followed by a 12-game stretch split between the Giants and Rockies. Bregman, Busch, and Carson Kelly are all doing their jobs, and the hits will eventually return for the rest of the gang. Regardless of the pitching situation, we should still be in for a fun summer of baseballs flying around Wrigley Field. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images As they begin a new week, the Chicago Cubs sit at 27-14, leading the NL Central by 3.5 games. Only the team from the suburbs northwest of Atlanta has a better record. The devastating pitching injury news keeps on coming—last week, 2025 All-Star Matthew Boyd hit the injured list for the second time this season. Despite that, the Cubs are in the midst of a 15-game winning streak at home, and are 8-2 in their last 10 games. This season marks the first time since 2016 that the Cubs are at least 10 games over .500 this early in the season. That's not to say that the 2026 Cubs are on the path to a similar destiny; these are different rosters with varying strengths and weaknesses. Nonetheless, fans are feeling good about this team that finds ways to win while starring down injuries. Here we are going to go position by position, comparing how the starters have fared through the first quarter of the season. (For what it's worth, those Cubs were 29-12 at this same juncture.) Catcher 2016: Miguel Montero/David Ross 2026: Carson Kelly/ Miguel Amaya Before (and after) Willson Contreras held down the position from 2017-2022, the Cubs favored the tandem catcher approach. Montero was penciled in as the starter, but the 39-year-old Ross found himself starting over a third of the team’s games due to his chemistry with the veteran starters and Montero's brutal follow-up to what had been a very strong 2015 campaign. Although Montero hit the team’s first home run of the season, he was largely a non-factor at the plate, hitting .208 with four extra base hits through May 6. Ross was hitting a little bit better, but the two of them together had a combined FanGraphs WAR of 0.7. Ten years later, Carson Kelly’s breakout 2025 is carrying over tolerably well into 2026. Even after going 0-for-Arlington, he's hitting .283/.377/.384 on the campaign. Amaya got off to s slower start, but he's thrived in lighter duty and is now hitting .228/.371/.351. This year's group is certainly out-hitting the 2016 duo, though Ross and Montero were better behind the plate. First Base 2016: Anthony Rizzo 2026: Michael Busch Anthony Rizzo loved life in the middle of a high-octane lineup to start 2016. Through 41 games (a point that came 10 days later that year than this year), he was batting .245/.382/.536, with 11 home runs, 34 RBIs and more walks than strikeouts. This was Peak Rizzo: a Gold Glover, a Silver Slugger, a multi-time All-Star and the heartbeat of the team. Fast-forward to today, and the Cubs have their most prolific first baseman since Rizzo in Michael Busch, but he has not yet found his footing completely. The rust is shaking off nicely as the weather warms, and Busch is now batting .238/.349/.367, but Rizzo was obviously a better player that year than Busch is, at least right now. Second Base 2016: Ben Zobrist 2026: Nico Hoerner Fresh off a 2015 World Series MVP award with the Royals, Zobrist signed a four-year deal as a veteran complement to the Cubs' young offensive core. He was the primary second baseman early in the 2016 season, although he did log nearly 190 innings in the outfield, as needs arose. He hit the ground running for his new team, and the 40-game mark found him flirting with a 1.000 OPS. He wasn't a dazzling defender, but he was good enough. When the first pitch of 2026 was thrown, Nico Hoerner was entering a contract year. By the time the second game of the season started, he had agreed to a six-year extension. Through May 10, Hoerner is showing why he was deserving of this deal. His defense is exceptional, and even mired in a 3-for-22 slump, he's currently hitting .278/.351/.426, with plus baserunning, to boot. This is the first position where one can make a strong case for the 2026 Cubs to top the 2016 crew, so let's give them the nod. Third Base 2016: Kris Bryant 2026: Alex Bregman Here's a question that can sound fun or cursed, depending on your mood: When Bregman's time in Chicago is over, whose impact will have been greater? Bryant ascended from being a top draft choice to the status of the sport's top prospect. He won a Rookie of the Year Award and an MVP Award for the Cubs, and was instrumental in their winning the World Series. Thereafter, though, his career was often disrupted by injuries. Bregman is already past his peak, but is he past his prime—or is this just a standard-issue slow start from a veteran whom you can trust to get untracked any minute? Either way, Bryant then was a much better player than Bregman now, but the skills and the gravitas of the veteran at this moment give him a chance to carve a legacy just as rich as Bryant's before he's done as a Cub. Shortstop 2016: Addison Russell 2026: Dansby Swanson I am tempted to just call this for Swanson and move on, but Russell was another bright spot for the 2016 Cubs. He would end up having an All-Star season and some huge playoff moments, but he started off slowly in April. His .225/.352/.337 slash line does not jump off the page, but as a staple in the bottom of the lineup, he was not counted on to carry much of the offense. His defense was dazzling, though a bit unconventional at times. What he did off the field forever stains his place in the team's history, but he was a linchpin of (arguably) the best defense in baseball history. Swanson is off to a peculiar start to 2026. He's only batting .201, but he's shown power, and he's walking enough to keep his OBP respectable, at .313. Russell was a better defender, but on intangibles on and off the field, it's fair to say Swanson is a better contributor to wins right now than Russell was even then. Left Field 2016: Various 2026: Ian Happ When Kyle Schwarber collided with Dexter Fowler in the first week of the season, the 2016 Cubs' plans for left field were scuppered. That was the Cade Horton injury of the 2016 club. Jorge Soler started 51 games at the position, which led the team, but Bryant made 36 starts there as well, with Willson Contreras and Chris Coghlan also starting over 20 games each. Bryant was the best player who played left in 2016, but none of the players mentioned got off to as hot a start as Ian Happ is having right now. He leads the Cubs with nine homers, and is on pace to surpass his career high of 25. He's also walking at a very high rate, adjusting as well as anyone to the ABS system and the smaller zone that comes with it. The 31-year-old is entering a contract year, and is certainly performing well enough to earn a multi-year deal, but it remains to be seen if the Cubs will be the ones offering it to him. The longest-tenured Chicago athlete gives the 2026 Cubs the advantage in left over the rotation of solid players that Joe Maddon used in 2016, though to be fair, Maddon was scrambling a bit—and he got to backfill a lot of the playing time he gave to others in left by slotting Javier Báez into the lineup. Center Field 2016: Dexter Fowler 2026: Pete Crow-Armstrong Fowler had been a dynamic leadoff man for the 2015 Cubs, but looked poised to leave via free agency—until, suddenly, he showed up at Cubs camp after all. He then got off to a much better start than he'd enjoyed in his first year on the North Side; mid-May found him batting .324/.445/.547. Maddon rightly dubbed him the catalyst of the offense, and he kept their engine firing until more of the sparks caught and his teammates heated up come summer. In the present, Crow-Armstrong is the most exciting center fielder in baseball, but the jury is still out on what kind of hitter he will be. He has one of the lowest walk percentages on the team, and he's pairing it with one of the highest strikeout percentages. He still has the speed to steal bases and stretch hits into extra bases, but he hasn't put that on full display this year. After a Reds series in which he was the game-breaking force the Cubs so often benefited from last season, maybe his bat is warming up in its own right. Either way, his elite defense makes him valuable—but that 2016 version of Fowler was a more complete player. Right Field 2016: Jason Heyward 2026: Seiya Suzuki The top outfielder on the market joined the Cubs on an eight-year prior to 2016, famously taking less money than he was offered by the Nationals. The recipient of the largest free-agent contract in Cubs history struggled to hit throughout the seven seasons he played in Chicago, and was granted his release before the eighth year. If you want to believe the players, it was Heyward’s rally cry during the Game 7 rain delay that ignited the Cubs offense en route to the World Series win, but there sadly isn’t a “speeches given” section on the back of his baseball card. Heyward struggled immediately in 2016, posting a .581 OPS through early May, redeemed only by the respect of his teammates and his sparkling play in right field. Heyward will always have the defensive chops that Suzuki lacks, but Suzuki is a middle of the order hitter who has done nothing but hit since his return from the IL. In 27 games, he’s slashing .293/.403/.535 with 7 homers, anchoring the middle of a lineup that has not gotten much from Crow-Armstrong, Busch, or Bregman yet. Suzuki turned into one of the better hitters in baseball last season, after being more good than great in his first three MLB seasons. Like Happ, the 31-year-old is in a contract year, and could see another large payday if he continues to be a dependable middle-of-the-order bat. The Suzuki over Heyward choice is one of the easiest on this list. Utility 2016: Javier Báez 2026: Matt Shaw Since there was no DH in the NL 10 years ago (and Báez had to make this list somewhere), let's compare him to Shaw as a utility player. Before taking the everyday shortstop job, Báez bounced around the infield in 2016. He played over 300 innings at second and third base, nearly 200 at shortstop, and a few more innings in left field and first base. The 23-year-old had a walkoff home run on Mothers Day, although he fell into a slump thereafter and had just a .277 OBP through 41 Cubs games. He was already showing the ability to make a huge impact defensively. This isn’t a dig on Shaw, as he has seemed to turn a corner with the bat this season while handling multiple positions. After a mixed bag of results in 2025, he is hitting .271 with a .755 OPS this season. The underlying metrics suggest Shaw has made improvements to his hit tool and that should become more apparent as the season goes on, but at this point, the edge is still going to Baez. Starting Rotation 2016: Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, John Lackey, Kyle Hendricks, Jason Hammel 2026: Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Colin Rea, Jameson Taillon, Ben Brown/Javier Assad The aspect that sets the 2016 team apart from the 2026 team is the starting pitching. Currently, the rotation has some bright spots and some not-so-bright spots. A healthy Imanaga is leading the bunch, with a 2.28 ERA over eight starts and a high strikeout rate to go with restored velocity. Imanaga always seems to start the season hot, so right now, he is the Cubs’ best starter. Trade addition Edward Cabrera has been as good as advertised, at times—but we've also seen what it looks like when his strange changeup-first arsenal isn't in sync. Colin Rea is back in the rotation due to the Cade Horton injury and has been a solid back-end contributor. Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd (who is now hurt again) have not been as sharp as they were last season, though. It’s really unfair to compare the current bunch to their 2016 counterparts, who were one of the most dominant single-season Cubs rotations ever. Lester and Hendricks finished second and third in the NL Cy Young Award voting, with Arrieta also getting support after winning the prize the previous year. Arrieta had already thrown a no-hitter by this time that year. The magnitude of difference here is much larger than between, say, Fowler and Crow-Armstrong or the respective catcher tandems. Closer/Bullpen 2016: Héctor Rondón 2026: Daniel Palencia Led by Rondón and fellow righty Pedro Strop, the 2016 Cubs pen got off to a hot start. Like any contender, they sought to reinforce that group as the summer wore on, but they had depth and high-velocity strikeout options in that group even in April and May. The 2026 bullpen needs reinforcements now, as all of their high-leverage arms outside of Hoby Milner and Brown have spent time on the IL. Current closer and WBC champion Daniel Palencia is a more electric arm than Rondón, but at least Rondón was healthy. There are glimpses of hope for breakout years from just enough guys, but right now, it's easy to pick this part of the 2016 pitching staff over the 2026 version, too. The Verdict C; Carson Kelly/Miguel Amaya 1B: Anthony Rizzo 2B: Nico Hoerner 3B: Kris Bryant SS: Dansby Swanson LF: Ian Happ CF: Dexter Fowler RF: Seiya Suzuki UTL: Javier Báez Rotation: 2016 Bullpen: 2016 In 11 categories, the 2016 Cubs have the advantage in six of them, making this a bit closer of a race than some might have thought. On the other hand, some of the 2016 group's advantages are much greater than those for the 2026 team. This group also doesn't have a farm system likely to yield either a Contreras-caliber midseason boost or a trade package like the one that brought the team Aroldis Chapman in 2016. These are two very different teams, and the game has changed immensely over the past decade, so this is not to say the 2026 team can’t experience the same fate. They are the hottest team in baseball right now, and are still finding ways to win despite their injuries. It will be a fun summer in Chicago, but there probably won’t ever be a Cubs team like the one we saw 10 years ago. View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images With roughly a week and change left in April, and roughly 90% of the MLB regular season left to go, it’s time to check in on how the rest of the NL Central is doing. As of 4/21, here are the current standings: Reds: 15-8 Pirates: 13-9 Cubs: 13-9 Cardinals: 13-9 Brewers: 12-9 The Cubs were middling to begin the season, but with the bats propelling them to a series win in Philadelphia, and a sweep of the spiraling Mets over the weekend, they are right back in the thick of things. The only caveat now is the state of the rest of the division, which does not have a team below .500. Even the Cardinals, who were thought to be the bottom dweller this season, have gotten off to a nice start. The technically third-place Cubs are still favorites to win the division, but this season is going to be much more of a gauntlet than originally anticipated, even after Milwaukee and St. Louis made some major subtractions from their rosters over the offseason. Here is a brief look at how the Cubs’ divisional rivals have fared so far. Cubs' NL Central Opponent Check-In Cincinnati Reds The Reds, who made the playoffs last season, are leading the division despite a -3 run differential. Coming off a sweep of the formerly red-hot Minnesota Twins, the team still sits dead last in baseball in wRC+ and batting average. The pitching staff as a whole has a 4.54 xERA, which ranks 24th in the league. Their top two starting pitchers, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, have not thrown a pitch yet, and both have ambiguous injury outlooks at this point. Both should be in the rotation at some point this season, but it is unclear when that will be. Still, the Reds are winning games, although they have not played a team with a current record over .500 besides the Pirates. What’s working: The Reds have exactly two things going right for them on offense: Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart. De La Cruz has already reached 1.0 WAR on the young season, with an .859 OPS, six home runs, and five stolen bases. Stewart is doing even better, with a team-leading .978 OPS, seven home runs, and 19 RBI. The 22-year-old is looking like an early frontrunner for the NL ROY award up to this point in the season. After a few seasons with a revolving door at first base, the Reds look like they have another star at the position, their first since Joey Votto retired. Christian Encarnacion-Strand was traded to Baltimore last week, leaving Stewart with little to no competition for playing time, especially with new/old friend Eugenio Suarez taking over the primary DH role. De La Cruz is one of the most exciting young players in the game, but he needed a dependable bat in the lineup to take some weight off his shoulders, and now it looks like he has that. On the pitching side, they’ve gotten quality work out of former first-round pick Rhett Lowder as well as Chase Burns. In the bullpen, Brock Burke, Conor Phillips, Graham Ashcraft and Sam Moll all have ERAs under 3.00, with Tony Santillan yet to give up a run in his 10 innings pitched. Their number 10 organizational prospect Jose Franco has made his debut in the bullpen, and No. 7 prospect Chase Petty is waiting in the wings. If this group can hold things together on the mound until Lodolo and Greene return, the Reds will suddenly have a deep pitching staff going into the second half of the season. What’s not working: The Reds’ offense and pitching rank toward the bottom of MLB in many statistics, and this is because any player I have not mentioned by name yet is off to a rough start. Here is a list of all the players on the Reds with at least 30 plate appearances that are hitting under .200: Tyler Stephenson, Matt McClain, KeBryan Hayes (hitting .058), T.J. Friedl, Noelvi Marte and Will Benson. Another mind blowing offensive stat for this team so far is that outside of the aforementioned Stewart, De La Cruz, Suarez, and Stephenson (due to fielding), not a single player has a positive WAR. The Reds have hitters who have been exciting before in McClain, Spencer Steer and Nathaniel Lowe, but there is definitely something in the water at Great American Ballpark that is causing such an offensive funk for most of the roster. Granted, there is no way this lineup should be this bad the rest of the season, since it is almost identical to the lineup that got them to the post season a year ago. Pitchers Andrew Abbott and Brady Singer are due for some positive regression at some point as well, since both have proven they are better than an ERA over five. The scary thing here for Cubs fans is that this Reds club has had serious problems on both sides of the ball, and is still 15-8. Once they get going, they might be viewed as the biggest threat to the Cubs in the division. Pittsburgh Pirates: We’ve seen this happen in recent memory, but how real is it this time? The Buccos finished April of 2023 with a 13-9 record before the wheels fell off. This team does have a different vibe to it, however. They have the best pitcher in the world in Paul Skenes. 20-year-old phenom Konnor Griffin has made his debut right after signing an extension. Oneil Cruz finally looks like a key offensive piece, and newly acquired Brandon Lowe is mashing with seven home runs. Last season, Pirates starters finished sixth in ERA, and this season, they are currently second at 2.81. Pitching will be a strength as long as Skenes is healthy, but the question once again will be the perennially suspect offense. What’s working: As previously mentioned, the Pirates have one of the highest-upside, young starting staffs in the game. Interestingly enough, Skenes’ 3.27 ERA is the highest of their five starters. 2025 top prospect Bubba Chandler is the only other starter sporting an ERA above 3.00, as Mitch Keller and Braxton Ashcraft are below 3.00. Cameron Mlodzinski, who has quietly been one of the more consistent arms around since 2023, has a dazzling 1.77 ERA through four starts. Jared Jones threw a live bullpen last week and should be joining the rotation sometime in June. The bullpen quartet of Dennis Santana, Yohan Ramirez, Isaac Mattson, and Gregory Soto have been the bright spots in a bullpen that is more good than great to this point. Hunter Barco, who has pitched briefly in the majors this season before being optioned, is one of their higher ranked prospects and should be up again soon. If the offense, which ranks top 10 in runs scored, batting average, home runs, wRC+, and most other categories, is able to stay consistent enough through 162 games, this team could easily win the division. Outside of Cruz and Lowe, free-agent addition Ryan O’Hearn is hitting .329 with a .960 OPS. With Andrew McCutchen in Texas after his somewhat controversial exit, Bryan Reynolds, having been with the team since 2019, is the veteran leader and is enjoying a nice .809 OPS after his substandard 2025. They’re also getting solid contributions from role players Jake Mangum, Spencer Horwitz, and the Nicks: Gonzales and Yorke. Konnor Griffin is not off to the hottest start at the plate, but he has five hits in his last four games, and could be turning a corner. New veteran DH Marcell Ozuna is also seeing the ball better with a pair of homers in the last week, after starting the season ice cold. What’s not working: This is a hard question for this team, because nearly everything seems to be working. Yes, Griffin hasn’t been great through his first few weeks, but the rest of the lineup is getting the job done. They do need a catcher, as 2021 number one overall pick Henry Davis is looking more and more like a bust. Last season, Davis was usurped by another former top prospect Joey Bart, but now they are hitting both under .200. Their No. 9 prospect Rafael Flores made his debut last season, and could fit into the equation this season, but he is hitting .208 with Triple-A Indianapolis. In fact, none of their top prospects in Triple-A are hitting at all, as Jhostynxon Garcia and Termarr Johnson have averages under .160. The Buccos better hope their group at the MLB level can continue to hit, because there doesn’t seem to be a lot of hope in the upper minors right now. There were questions defensively after Cruz had a terrible opening weekend in center field, and O’Hearn was signed to be a makeshift outfielder, but they have been okay, if not better than anticipated. Overall, the vibes are as good as they’ve been in over a decade at PNC Park, so let’s check back later to see how they’re holding up. St. Louis Cardinals The Cardinals were never supposed to be a main character for the 2026 season. They sold veterans Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras and were set on rebuilding, as their only “significant” addition was RHP Dustin May. Yet, here they are, tied with the Cubs, albeit with a -10 run differential. Cubs fans know the Redbirds have always found a way to remain competitive, and while this is the weakest roster in the division on paper, that could change quickly if some of the early results prove to be no fluke. What’s working: Former top prospect Jordan Walker leads the NL in home runs with eight and all of baseball in WAR with 1.8. He is hitting .305 with a 1.013 OPS and is finally looking like the offensive force he was projected to be. Still only 24 years old, this looks like the breakout Cardinals fans have been waiting for, and if he ends up being the new offensive face of the team for the next half decade, St. Louis will yet again hold one of the best hitters in baseball. Alec Burleson has seemingly found his home at first base after bouncing around from the infield to outfield over his first few seasons. He is hitting .280 with an .820 OPS with more walks than strikeouts. Former seventh overall pick J.J. Wetherholt made his debut on Opening Day and has a .750 OPS, which is third on the team. The pitching has been a bigger question mark, but they have a few young arms off to hot starts, who are auditioning for their role on the present and future Cardinals staffs. Although he is not striking hitters out, righty Michael McGreevy leads the team with a 2.49 ERA in four starts. Andre Pallante and Matthew Liberatore have been solid contributors as well, and should improve as the season progresses. The real treasure here on the Cards’ pitching staff is closer Riley O’Brien. The 31-year-old righty is building off a breakout 2025, where he pitched to a 2.06 ERA in 48 innings. He hasn’t given up a run this season in 12 1/3 innings and has a K/9 over ten. JoJo Romero has also been serviceable in the back end of the bullpen, with a 2.25 ERA. Likewise, 2021 fifth-round draft pick Gordon Graceffo has an ERA under 1.00 in his 10 2/3 innings pitched. Breakout rookie Matt Svanson was their best reliever last season, but has struggled so far in 2026. If he can reign in the walks (7.6/9), he would go a long way toward improving on their 25th-ranked bullpen xERA. In terms of reinforcements on the prospect lists, slugging outfielder Joshua Baez and pitchers Jurrangelo Cijntje and Quinn Mathews should see regular playing time before the season ends. Outfielder Lars Nootbaar should be back by late May or early June, which will certainly improve the offense as well. What’s not working: The underlying stats for the offense (sixth in WAR, 13th in wRC+, 15th in batting average) show that the Redbirds could produce at least league-average offense throughout the whole year, but the pitching is a different story. They have the worst team K/9 in the game at 6.38, and they’re also in the bottom third in the league in BB/9. Free-agent addition Dustin May has given up 15 earned runs in 19 1/3 innings but has an FIP under four, signaling some positive regression could be looming. Kyle Leahy, on the other hand, has an FIP close to six, and does not at all resemble the guy who was one of their most important starters last season. They’ve also gotten lucky, being 5-0 in extra innings, and 5-0 in one run games. O’Brien deserves credit where it's due, but he is not exactly a proven big league arm. The Cards will need a quick turnaround from veteran Ryne Stanek in order to continue winning close contests. Milwaukee Brewers: The defending NL Central champs started the season hot; they swept the White Sox to open the season and followed that up with series victories against the Rays and Royals. Then, they hit a skid on a road trip to the East, where they lost the second and third games of their series in Boston, and were swept by the Nationals. They had a nice rebound last week, winning both series against the spiraling AL champion Blue Jays and the scrappy, but still meh, Marlins. The offense that carried them last season has been middle of the pack in nearly any category you can name, and the pitching is very average as well. The Brewers started slower last year, and came roaring back, much to the dismay of Cubs fans everywhere. With reigning Manager of the Year Pat Murphy at the controls, and young ace Jacob Misiorowski leading the starting staff, there are still many reasons to bet on the Crew again. What’s working: Misiorowski is leading baseball with 42 strikeouts, which is helping fans forget that former ace Freddy Peralta is on the Mets. Brandon Woodruff is having a nice start to the year as well, in what he is surely hoping is going to be his first fully healthy season in a few years. The veteran pitching on the qualifying offer has a 3.42 ERA in his four starts. Speaking of ERA, Chad Patrick’s is under 1.00 in 19 innings pitched. Kyle Harrison, a former top-100 prospect, seems comfortable in his third organization in under a year. The bullpen hasn’t been nearly as effective, but DL Hall, Aaron Ashby and Grant Anderson have kept the group afloat. Offensively, William Contreras and Bryce Turang are each hitting over .300, with Turang’s .437 OBP leading the NL. Garrett Mitchell has an OPS exceeding .800, and Gary Sanchez is tied with Jake Bauers for the team lead in home runs with five. Jackson Chourio is expected back sometime in May, which will be a much-needed boost to this lineup. What’s not working: The Brewers have a few key contributors not working right now. Christian Yelich just hit the IL and is expected to miss about a month. Andrew Vaughn has been out since Opening Day, and pitchers Quinn Priester, Craig Yoho, and Jared Koenig are all out as well. Injuries are a part of the game, and the Brewers are good at finding replacements, but they need Chourio, Yelich, and Vaughn in the lineup as much as possible because they have some guys who are not hitting. Joey Ortiz is hitting below the Mendoza line, along with Sal Frelick, but with Ortiz, it's looking more and more evident that his ceiling is that of a weak hitter. The Luis Rengifo third baseman strategy is flat out not working, as he is currently worth -0.3 WAR while hitting .167. Too bad their other newly acquired infielder, David Hamilton, is also hitting sub-.200, while top prospects Jett Williams and extension recipient Cooper Pratt are struggling in Triple, so it looks like Rengifo is the answer for the foreseeable future. They’re in need of their bullpen reinforcements too, as prospect Brandon Sproat has given up 13 earned runs and already been moved out of the rotation. The biggest issue in their pen is closer Trevor Megill, who has been brutal to start the season. He has an ERA over 10.00 while giving up eight earned runs, while last season, he gave up 13 earned runs in total. With an offense that is not nearly as potent as it was a season ago, the Brewers can’t afford to be coughing up leads late in games. View full article

Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-Imagn Images The injured list keeps getting longer for the Chicago Cubs. The focus over the past few weeks has been the starting rotation—mainly the news that righthander Cade Horton will be out for the remainder of the season. The impact of an injury to a pitcher like Horton, who was on his way to being one of the top young starters in the game, is massive for the Cubs, who lack a true ace. Now, the bullpen is being ripped apart, too, by a series of injuries over the last week or so. Free-agent additions Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey are both on the 15-day IL, and so is Ethan Roberts. On Wednesday, we found out that Porter Hodge will be joining Cade Horton on the injured list for the rest of the season, due to UCL surgery. Though the jury was out on how much Hodge could actually be counted on this season, losing him for the season in mid-April will present the Cubs with another depth-related challenge. After a breakout rookie season in 2024 wherein the 23-year-old posted a 1.88 ERA (2.75 FIP) with a WHIP under 0.90 in 43 innings pitched, he was set to be one of the team’s high-leverage relievers last year. In fact, before the 2025 season started, the armchair general managers in the Cubs subreddit were debating on whether the Ryan Pressly trade made sense, suggesting Hodge should be the answer in the ninth inning. Even though walks were probably always going to be a point of concern, the 6-foot-4 righty boasted a fastball that could touch the upper 90s, and a wipeout slider that made the 2019 13th-round pick a potential weapon for a bullpen lacking a shutdown option. Relief pitching was a strength for the Cubs in 2025, with the bullpen finishing 11th in baseball with an ERA of 3.78. However, Hodge was a surprising non-factor, as he dealt with various injuries, pitching 33 innings in the majors with a ghastly 6.27 ERA. He still missed bats, as evident by his near 11 K/9, but he was hit around otherwise, giving up nine home runs in that small sample. Injuries aside, his fastball and slider velocity were a tick up from 2024, giving Cubs fans hope that Hodge could still overpower hitters, and would eventually work his way back into the pen. He had not yet thrown a pitch in 2026 before we got the news of this latest injury, which will certainly cost him not only 2026, but some of the 2027 season, too. The good news is that he's still pre-arbitration, so he remains a long-term option, but the club hanging onto him is no guarantee. The Cubs have one of the hardest bullpens to project, based on their affinity for making plenty of low-risk signings, so there is a non-zero chance that we have seen Hodge for the last time as a Cub. Moving forward, the Cubs are going to have to find more serviceable right-handed relief options. With all the injuries that have unfolded already, the Cubs are carrying a whopping five lefties in their bullpen: Caleb Thielbar and Hoby Milner have been around since Opening Day, but now, Luke Little is back, along with Ryan Rolison and rookie Riley Martin. Ben Brown has been a nice revelation as a full-time reliever so far, closer Daniel Palencia has not allowed an earned run, and Colin Rea has carried over the effectiveness from last season. Now with Rea needing to join the rotation, another right-handed relief option is gone. Jacob Webb is active, but his ERA is north of 5.00, and the only other righty on the 40-man roster is Gavin Hollowell and his negative career WAR. He's hurt, too, though less severely; he just hit the 7-day IL for Iowa. The 9-9 Cubs can sit tight and hope this lefty-heavy group can hold their own until Maton, Harvey and Roberts are back, but the chase for the NL Central crown is looking a lot tougher with the way Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have opened their seasons. The Cubs will be shopping for relievers come July, but they might need new faces in this group before then. The problem is, they don't have a ton of promising options. As for prospects, Jaxon Wiggins might be up at some point this summer, but his services could be needed in the thinned-out rotation. Their next-best pitching prospect is 19-year-old Kaleb Wing, the club’s No. 12 prospect, according to mlb.com. There is one interesting option who sits on their top 30 prospect list: 26-year-old Grant Kipp, who has thrown 8 1/3 scoreless innings to open the season with Knoxville. He is not an overpowering arm, but what he’s done so far has worked. What’s wrong with riding the hot hand? Out west in Des Moines, there’s not a whole lot to be excited about from righties. There is a 30-year-old, 6-foot-8 reliever named Gabe Klobotsits, who has a 2.08 ERA. Former top prospect turned journeyman Vince Velazquez is trying to make the majors for the first time since 2023 and has the fourth-lowest WHIP on the team (1.05), trailing Paul Campbell, Zac Leigh, and, you guessed it, Gabe Klobosits. The cupboard is bare. Free agency is just as grim, but maybe they can pry Jorge Lopez away from the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican league. Flamethrower Michael Kopech is still out there, but he’s coming off a season wherein he only pitched 11 innings due to injuries and still isn’t healthy. Guys are hitting the waiver wire all the time, and the Cubs shouldn’t be doomed once some of these arms start coming back, but the Hodge injury is a huge blow to their right-handed bullpen depth, something that could be foreseen as an issue this whole season. If there is one silver lining to playing the Mets, Phillies, and Dodgers over their next three series, it is that those lineups are built around their stud lefty hitters, giving the lefty-heavy bullpen a bit of an advantage. They will need to figure out what to do when they head to San Diego at the end of the month and face off against Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts. View full article