Cubs Sit At No. 17 In ESPN's Way-Too-Early Power Rankings

The Chicago Cubs have a lot of work to do in the coming months. 

The Cubs have a long list of free agents this offseason. Players like Ian Happ, Kevin Gausman, Seiya Suzuki, Shota Imanaga, Michael Conforto, Tyrone Taylor, Carson Kelly, Clay Holmes, and Matthew Boyd could all depart in free agency. 

After Kelly and Boyd both declined their ends of the mutual options and Holmes declined his $12 million player option for the 2027 season, the Cubs have a lot of holes on their current roster. They desperately need pitching help, may need to replace two outfielders, and losing Kelly is somewhat of a big loss. 

With so many Cubs free agents, it’s hard to tell what this team will look like next season. That’s part of the reason that the North Siders are ranked so low in ESPN’s way-too-early power rankings for the 2027 campaign. 

The Cubs come in ranked 17th in ESPN’s power rankings. That’s below National League foes like the Pittsburgh Pirates (No. 9), Miami Marlins (No. 12), St. Louis Cardinals (No. 14), Arizona Diamondbacks (No. 15), and New York Mets (No. 16). 

But it’s not a total surprise to see the Cubs ranked this low with the team set to lose some key free agents. 

“The Cubs are the most difficult team to rank due to their long list of free agents -- Holmes and Boyd will no doubt elect to test the market and seek multiyear deals,” ESPN writer David Schoenfield wrote. “That basically means their entire rotation is either heading to free agency or returning from injury. They did lead the majors in runs scored, but Suzuki (5.1 WAR) and Happ (2.9 WAR) are key free agents. Did we mention the Cubs need a closer?”

Seeing Chicago ranked 17th in these way-too-early power rankings means the front office has a lot of work to do in the coming months. The good news for the Cubs is that they have plenty of time to move up in these power rankings. 

The Cubs should be very active this offseason to upgrade their roster. Pitching will likely be their biggest focus, as five starters from a season ago will hit free agency (Holmes, Gausman, Boyd, Imanaga, and David Peterson). 

Cubs fans shouldn’t read too much into where the team currently sits in these power rankings. There’s a lot of work to be done. These rankings could look a lot different if the front office goes out and signs someone like Tarik Skubal or even Michael King.