Thanks to a strong offense and an MVP-like pace from Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs are in the thick of the NL playoff race as of mid-July 2026. But it has not been an easy ride, thanks in large part to numerous pitching injuries.
The Offense
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 484 | 5th |
| Home Runs | 121 | t-8th |
| OPS | .747 | 4th |
| Whiff% | 24.3 | 8th |
| Hard Hit% | 39.3 | 16th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 4.52 | 23rd |
| Relievers’ ERA | 4.09 | 16th |
| Strikeouts | 748 | 25th |
| Whiff% | 24.9 | 19th |
| Chase% | 31.0 | 9th |
The Good
Since the start of June, arguably no hitter in MLB has been better than Pete Crow-Armstrong. The fourth-year outfielder, since the 1st of June, slashed .376/.476/.755 (1.232 OPS) with 14 home runs, 12 stolen bases, and a league-high 23 extra-base hits. Obscene numbers over six weeks.
This season has marked yet another step in the evolution of PCA, which extended with the Cubs earlier in the spring on a deal that looks like a bargain now. You have to remember that Crow-Armstrong was relegated to the bottom of the order to start 2025. Then, the adjustments clicked, and so did the results. But he didn’t walk much last year — but this year has been a different story.
No player in baseball has improved his walk rate year-to-year more than PCA.
Crow-Armstrong has excelled this season, leading an offense that tore it up over the final month of the first half. Dansby Swanson hit nine of his 16 home runs in the 2026 campaign after June 1. He had a memorable doubleheader performance against the Mets in June, and then followed it up with a three-run game against the Padres one week later.
Seiya Suzuki hit 29 home runs and posted an OPS north of .800, while Michael Busch rebounded from a down start to put up better numbers from May 1 onward.
It also helps to find gems in the rough. One of those was former NL All-Star Michael Conforto, who signed with the Cubs on a Minor League pact and made the team out of camp. He slashed .243/.331/.486 over 62 contests.
As for the pitching staff, it’s been a tough year thanks to injuries (we’ll get to that in a minute). But one fine story was Ben Brown, the former Cubs top prospect who put up pristine numbers over the first half.
Brown, for much of his early MLB career, was almost exclusively a fastball/knuckle-curve pitcher who had trouble finding a third pitch. The righty experimented with a changeup, a pitch that he had used in 2026. But what’s given him a new dimension is a running two-seamer that complements the four-seamer.
The result? A 1.85 ERA over the first half, shortened due to injury.
The Bad
If it feels like the Cubs have lost their entire rotation to the IL, it wouldn’t be hyperbole to state that.
Already down Justin Steele, who suffered a setback in April after recovering from elbow surgery, to start 2026, Cade Horton‘s season ended in the second week of the year. Horton, a rookie standout in 2025, required reconstructive elbow surgery that ended his sophomore campaign before it even began.
Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, and Edward Cabrera have all had IL stints this season. All of that forced the Cubs to make a move for a pitcher in June, as Chicago acquired 2025 NL All-Star David Peterson from the Mets.
Injuries haven’t been limited to the rotation. Closer Daniel Palencia is presently on the IL, while Phil Maton — who entered the break with an ERA north of 6.00 — also spent time on the injured list.
Luckily, the Cubs have been able to fill holes here and there.
As for the offense, Alex Bregman was the big signing for the team this winter. But thus far, Bregman has yet to hit at the same pace he did with both the Astros and Red Sox. In his first MLB season outside a home venue friendly to right-handed hitters, Bregman slashed .241/.336/.359 over 94 games.
Looking Ahead
To catch up to the Brewers, the Cubs have some work to do in the second half.
Chicago’s rotation will need to hold, something that may not be the easiest of tasks. Right now, the Cubs do have Boyd and Shota Imanaga healthy, although Imanaga has yet again struggled to keep the ball in the yard.
Pitching additions would make sense for the Cubs.
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