From Pete Crow-Armstrong’s MVP-caliber resurgence to an aging bullpen’s injury crisis, discover the unexpected catalysts and setbacks fueling Chicago’s surge toward a National League Wild Card spot.
The “first-half” of the regular season is complete.
The Chicago Cubs put together a solid first half for the most part. There were plenty of ups and downs, but they ended the first half by winning 15 of their last 21 games. That gives them a 54-42 record entering the All-Star break.
Chicago is now in sole possession of the top Wild Card spot in the National League and only five games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central standings. Outside of a rough stretch in early May/early June, the Cubs have played solid baseball.
With the first half complete, let’s take a look at the three biggest surprises so far.
Pete Crow Armstrong
No one knew which version of Pete Crow-Armstrong would show up in 2026. Some believed the first-half MVP version from 2025 would appear, and others believed the slumping second-half version from last year would appear.
Well, Crow-Armstrong has been more like that MVP version. He has been one of the best players in all of baseball this season. The All-Star is batting .291 with 21 home runs, 53 RBI, 15 doubles, and 24 stolen bases across 96 games while playing elite defense in the outfield.
Crow-Armstrong is a big reason why the Cubs sit 12 games over .500 at this point in the season. His 5.8 WAR is second in baseball behind only Shohei Ohtani (6), and his 4.7 offensive WAR is the third-best in baseball.
Nico Hoerner
Nico Hoerner has always been that consistent hitter for the Cubs. He batted .283 with 40 extra-base hits in 2023, batted .273 with 43 extra-base hits in 2024, and batted .297 with 40 extra-base hits in 2025.
Unfortunately, Hoerner has not been that consistent bat in Chicago’s lineup this year. He’s batting just .233 with four home runs, 23 doubles, 38 RBI, and 14 stolen bases across 94 games.
Seeing Hoerner struggle at the plate is quite surprising. He’s usually the hitter who gets the offense going and gets on base at a high level. That just hasn’t been the case in 2026. The Cubs second baseman has just a .202 batting average since May 1.
How Many Pitchers The Cubs Have Gone Through
No team used more different pitchers in the first half than the Cubs. The North Siders have used a whopping 33 pitchers since the start of the season. The average age of those pitchers is also the oldest in baseball (31.3).
The Cubs have dealt with their fair share of injuries this season. Pitchers like Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Cade Horton, Ben Brown, Hoby Milner, Phil Maton, Caleb Thielbar, Daniel Palencia, and Ethan Roberts are just a few of the pitchers who have suffered injuries in the first half.
That has led the Cubs to lean on some unexpected pitchers early on. Ryan Rolison, Trent Thornton, Tyler Ferguson, and Drew Pomeranz are all currently throwing meaningful bullpen innings, yet none of them started the year with the big league club.
Going through that many different pitchers and still being 12 games over .500 at the All-Star break is a pleasant surprise.
