By Jerzy Przybylo
September 9, 2026
Chicago has developed one of baseball’s most dangerous offenses and strongest defenses, but inconsistent pitching has emerged as the biggest question surrounding the team’s playoff hopes.
────────────────────────────────────────
The Chicago Cubs are looking to carry their strengths into the postseason.
The Chicago Cubs have had an astounding season so far, sitting in second place in the National League Central. The Cubs are eight games behind the Brewers in a packed division and are tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for the No. 1 Wild Card spot. The team has surged to an impressive 81-65 record. With an elite defense making near-impossible stops and the offense running laps around the bases, the Cubs still face one major issue. Chicago is severely struggling with its pitching this season, dealing with countless injuries in the bullpen and unable to keep the lead late in their games.
This Cubs offense is dominating the league in several major team statistics, at first in runs, home runs, RBIs, and walks per game. They are also fifth in batting average and third in hits per game. The team has an OPS of .769, led by Seiya Suzuki at .844 and Pete Crow-Armstrong at an impressive .949. Crow-Armstrong is second overall in home runs with 41, and that pairs with a complementary 36 stolen bases, making him a threat both at the plate and on the basepaths . As if that isn’t enough, he has emerged as one of the leading candidates for the National League MVP. But the Cubs’ success doesn’t end with their bats. PCA is also leading the charge on defense with 22 outs above average (OAA). “MVPete” has the amazing ability to cover a lot of ground and was even able to rob a hit that had a 0% catch probability back in July against the St. Louis Cardinals. Alongside him, Dansby Swanson ranks near the top of the shortstop leaderboards in OAA and Alex Bregman leads the league amongst third basemen. As a team, they reside in first place with a significant margin in OAA and defensive runs saved (DRS).
Despite what the offense and defense have been able to generate, the Cubs’ kryptonite right now is their pitching staff. Injuries have been off the charts in Chicago’s bullpen all season long. With key players like starting pitchers Justin Steele and Edward Cabrera sidelined, that is just the beginning. Not only are they missing just a couple starters; they have 10 total pitchers that are dealing with injuries right now. This has posed an issue for the Cubs all season and is becoming even more crucial as the playoffs approach and October baseball draws closer. The team also ranks high in blown saves as Jacob Webb continues to struggle, while the Cubs rank 26th in total strikeouts with 1,120. A recent example came on September 8, when the Milwaukee Brewers hit a home run to tie the game after the cubs had taken the lead. The Brewers eventually won in extra innings on an RBI, taking the game 4-3. Since mid-August, the Cubs’ bullpen ranks 23rd in earned run average (ERA) and 19th in ERA for the overall season. The bullpen has also allowed a league-leading 218 home runs. The Chicago Cubs rank 17th overall in quality starts as well, displaying how even their starting pitching can only do so much as the bullpen continues to slip.
A team’s offense can overcome bad pitching here and there, but that won’t get you very far in the playoffs. Postseason games tend to magnify or exploit pitching weaknesses. There is too much talent in the playoffs to consistently outscore opposing teams if the bullpen can’t keep up and is consistently playing catch-up. All it takes is one bad inning to end the game or, even worse, a season. In a recent game against the Miami Marlins on September 4, PCA reached up to make a risky home run robbery that could have easily been deflected over the wall. Despite the odds and risk, he was able to jump up and make the catch, preventing what could have been extra-base hits and potentially multiple runs. The Cubs have proven they have the hitting power and the show-stopping defense to make big plays, but eventually, the pitching staff will have to prove it can hold its own against the best teams in baseball.
The red and blue in the Windy City don’t need an entire reconstruction before October. If they can continue to get quality starts from their rotation and avoid allowing late hits and home runs from the bullpen, then they could make a deep playoff run. They may even be able to take their shot at the World Series. If not, an early playoff exit could come quickly. With one of the Cubs’ best defenders, Dansby Swanson, continuing to rest and battle his oblique injury, these next few weeks are especially crucial as Chicago looks to tighten things up on the mound. Everything is in place for the Cubs to make some noise in October; now, it’s up to the pitching staff to keep that sound going all the way to the championship round.