The Chicago Cubs’ 2026 season came to a disappointing end. 

There were plenty of ups and downs for a team that had World Series aspirations. But this team fell just short after getting swept in the National League Wild Card Round by the San Diego Padres. 

With the season in the rearview mirror, let’s grade how each group performed for the Cubs during the 2026 campaign. 

This was the Cubs’ strength throughout the season. They led the National League with 220 home runs and averaged a league-leading 5.19 runs per game. Chicago also had the sixth-best batting average in baseball in the regular season. 

Having the soon-to-be National League MVP in Pete Crow-Armstrong surely helped with those numbers. Crow-Armstrong hit .280 with 45 home runs, 107 RBI, and 119 runs scored in 162 games. Alex Bregman and Seiya Suzuki also provided key offensive contributions to lead this offense. Bregman hit .265 with 28 home runs, and Suzuki hit .270 with 26 home runs. 

The hitting didn’t show up in the postseason, but this group carried the team throughout the regular season. The Cubs' hitting gets an A for ranking toward the top of the league in several offensive categories. 

A large reason for the Cubs’ struggles this past season was their rotation. They didn’t have an ace or that true No. 1 that they could go to down the stretch. However, some of this group’s struggles were out of the team’s control, as several key starters went down with injuries. 

Cade Horton missed the majority of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April. Ben Brown missed the final three months of the season with a neck issue. Justin Steele was expected to return in late May/early June, but a setback in the spring ultimately kept him out for the entire season. 

Even though the Cubs tried to fix their rotation at the trade deadline by adding Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson, it couldn’t save this rotation. A C- feels fair for a unit that dealt with some injuries to key starters.  

The downfall of this Cubs team in 2026 was the bullpen. The front office had to completely revamp this group after losing most of its key bullpen arms from the 2025 season. However, Jed Hoyer failed in that department. 

Signing Phil Maton to a two-year deal proved to be a mistake. Hunter Harvey contributed only four innings as injuries held him back once again. Caleb Theilbar regressed significantly, finishing with a 4.86 ERA over 50 innings. 

The bullpen was definitely the team’s weakness this past season. Daniel Palencia wasn’t as sharp on the mound, and the Cubs didn’t have one reliever finish with double-digit saves. This group gets a D+.