Pitching struggles persist while Alex Bregman and Miguel Amaya flash power. The Cubs face early-season challenges and emerging offensive bright spots.
The first series of the season is in the books for the Chicago Cubs.
Things didn’t quite go according to plan for the Cubs in this series. They dropped two of three games to the Washington Nationals to begin the year and will start the 2026 campaign with a 1-2 record.
So, here are my three key takeaways from the opening series loss to the Nationals.
Matthew Boyd & Shota Imanaga Continue To Struggle
Both Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga entered the season with huge question marks. Boyd gassed out toward the end of last year, and Imanaga had problems keeping the ball in the park after the All-Star break.
Unfortunately, those struggles have continued into 2026. Boyd allowed six runs on six hits with seven strikeouts across 3 ⅔ innings on Opening Day, and Imanaga gave up four runs across five innings on Sunday afternoon.
The Cubs will need both pitchers to be more consistent throughout the year. Boyd will need to return to that first-half version from last season, and Imanaga will need to limit the home runs. In Sunday’s loss, the southpaw gave up a three-run home run in the first inning that put the Cubs in a massive hole early.
Alex Bregman Making Immediate Impact
Alex Bregman is exactly what the Cubs needed in their lineup for 2026. Although the veteran third baseman went 1-for-9 with two strikeouts in the first two games of the series, Bregman showed his offensive impact on Sunday.
He went 2-for-4 with two home runs and two RBI in the loss. His first home run came in the bottom of the fourth inning on a cutter left in the middle of the zone, and his second homer came in the bottom of the eighth inning on a fastball at the top of the zone.
It’s nice to see Bregman get a few home runs under his belt early in the season. He will be a big part of Chicago’s offense this year and will hit upward of 20 home runs in 2026.
Miguel Amaya Flashing Power
The most impressive hitter for the Cubs in the team’s first series was catcher Miguel Amaya. Even though Amaya might have only started one of Chicago’s three games during this series, he quickly made his mark in the lineup.
Amaya went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI in his only start against the Nationals on Saturday. The 27-year-old got a hold of a high fastball and drove it for a statcast-projected 390 feet to left center field.
The Cubs will likely rotate Carson Kelly and Amaya at catcher every game, but Amaya deserves more plate appearances if he continues to hit the ball well. Don’t forget, he hit .282 with six home runs in his final 54 games of the 2024 season.