The Chicago Cubs season ended a couple of weeks ago. 

The Cubs were swept by the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card Round amid a disappointing postseason showing. For a team that had World Series aspirations, a first-round exit simply could not happen. 

Now that the season has been over for a few weeks, it’s a good time to look back at three things we learned about this Cubs team from the 2026 season. 

There were concerns about which version of Pete Crow-Armstrong would show up in 2026. Would it be the MVP-caliber player from the first half of the 2025 season, or the struggling hitter from the second half of the 2025 season?

It’s safe to say that Crow-Armstrong turned out to be that MVP-caliber player. The Cubs center fielder slashed .280/.372/.570 with 45 home runs, 31 doubles, eight triples, 107 RBI, and 41 stolen bases across 162 games this past season. 

Crow-Armstrong is well on his way to winning his first career MVP and has emerged as one of the best players in the sport. With 100th-percentile batting run value, 100th-percentile fielding run value, and 99th-percentile baserunning value, the 24-year-old is simply a star. 

The Cubs made a big move last offseason by signing Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract. Although Bregman got off to a slow start, he was no doubt a home-run pickup by Chicago’s front office. 

Bregman slashed .265/.355/.464 with 28 home runs, 33 doubles, two triples, and 93 RBI across 155 games. He was especially good in the second half, where he hit .312 with 19 home runs, 18 doubles, and 52 RBI over his final 59 games. 

A player of Bregman’s caliber is crucial for this Cubs team moving forward. He’s a hard worker, a leader, and an above-average hitter at the top of the lineup. The good news is that he still has four more years left on his deal. 

It remains to be seen what the Cubs plan to do with Ian Happ this coming offseason. Happ is currently a free agent and could be on the move after a disappointing 2026 season. The veteran hit .218 with 24 home runs, 28 doubles, and 68 RBI across 156 games. 

Now the Cubs could look to re-sign Happ in free agency and bring him back on a team-friendly deal. But if that happens, Chicago shouldn’t trust him as the full-time left fielder for the 2027 season. 

He should be a platoon option, with a hitter who crushes left-handed pitching. This past season, Happ hit .241 with 20 home runs against righties and .145 with four home runs against southpaws. It’s clear he can’t be a full-time outfielder for the Cubs next season.