High-priced veterans and struggling relievers were major disappointments in the first half. Discover which underperforming stars face a critical crossroads as the North Siders fight for a postseason spark.
The Chicago Cubs will open the second half of the season on Friday night against the Minnesota Twins.
But before the second half officially begins, it’s a good time to look back at the first half and identify what are some things that went wrong for the Cubs. There are three players in particular who really didn’t do much to propel this team forward.
So, let's take a look at the three biggest disappointments from this Cubs team in the first half and whether these three players can turn it around in the second half.
Alex Bregman
It has not been a great start to Alex Bregman’s Cubs career. After signing a five-year, $175 million deal in free agency, Bregman is slashing just .241/.336/.359 with nine home runs, 15 doubles, 41 RBI, and two stolen bases in his first 94 games with his new team.
The three-time All-Star has not been that key bat at the top of Chicago’s lineup this year. He has a career-worst .696 OPS and is batting just .200 with three home runs with runners in scoring position.
However, there is some optimism that Bregman can eventually turn it around. He ended the first half by hitting a home run in back-to-back games and always seems to heat up in the second half. The veteran has a career .286/.374/.511 slash line in the second half, compared to a .260/.355/.444 slash line in the first half.
Nico Hoerner
No one expected Nico Hoerner to perform as poorly as he did in the first half. The Cubs second baseman hit just .233 with four home runs, 23 doubles, 38 RBI, and 14 stolen bases across 94 games before the All-Star break.
His numbers were even worse since being hit in the head by a pitch on April 29, as he has slashed only .202/.270/.263 with 12 RBI since that date. His early-season numbers are definitely a bit concerning.
But some positive regression should be headed Hoerner's way in the second half. Despite currently owning a .233 batting average, his expected batting average (.284) still ranks in the 90th percentile. Considering his underlying metrics are almost identical to his 2025 metrics, better days should be ahead for him.
Phil Maton
The Cubs don’t often sign relief pitchers to multi-year deals. From 2020 to 2025, they signed zero relief pitchers to multi-year contracts. Well, the front office went against its normal way of thinking and finally signed a reliever to a multi-year deal this past offseason.
Chicago signed Phil Maton to a two-year, $14.5 million contract in free agency. Unfortunately, that signing looks like a massive mistake. Maton had a 6.08 ERA, 1.763 WHIP, and a 23.8% strikeout rate across 26 ⅔ innings pitched in the first half.
Unlike the other two players on this list, there really isn't much optimism that Maton can return to his 2025 form. His expected ERA (6.73), expected batting average against (.288), barrel rate (12.7%), walk rate (11.5%), and hard-hit rate (44.3%) all rank in the bottom 20% of the league.
