Anthony Rizzo is throwing a curveball at Cubs fans’ playoff thinking, and it’s a big one.
For weeks, the conversation around Chicago has centered on one thing: locking up the top Wild Card spot so the Cubs can host the three-game Wild Card Round. That’s the obvious path, the clean path, the one most teams would want. Rizzo, though, took the discussion in a completely different direction on the latest episode of his podcast.
His idea? Get into the postseason, then deliberately drop this weekend’s games and set up a first-round road series against the Atlanta Braves.
“Home field, first the Padres, if they move on, they have the Dragon and the Brewers in Milwaukee, right? If they can go into Atlanta, three games and build real momentum and figure out a way to win that series against a really, really, really good Atlanta Braves team, then their confidence is even higher. Then they're road dogs.”
That’s a spicy take by any standard. Former teammate and podcast co-host David Ross wasn’t buying it, and he made his preference clear: the Cubs’ best shot is a return to the 2025 postseason script, with Chicago hosting the Padres at Wrigley Field. Ross pointed to the home crowd as a real factor in big moments, and there’s at least some recent evidence to back that up, including last year’s NLDS against Milwaukee, when the atmosphere at Wrigley appeared to rattle Freddy Peralta.
There’s also a scenario that feels far less appealing: a trip to Philadelphia.
The Phillies are the matchup that stands out as the one Cubs fans would want to avoid, with Citizens Bank Park described as one of the most hostile environments in baseball. It’s also an experienced group that understands time is running out. The starting pitching is a strength, and Kyle Schwarber can change a game with one swing.
For the Cubs, the message is simple: get through the weekend, survive the chaos created by the irregular scheduling in Boston, and position themselves for whatever comes next on Tuesday.
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What makes the discussion interesting is the fit of the lineup itself. Chicago already has the power to do damage, but there is room for a player who can help manufacture runs with small ball, situational hitting and steadier at-bats when the game tightens. If the Cubs go shopping for corner help, the best addition might be the kind that balances the order more than it headlines it. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs May Have One Offseason Fix For Ben Brown And Their Bullpen
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With several bullpen and rotation pieces headed for free agency, the Cubs could be facing a reset in how they build out the pitching staff. One possible path is to move Brown into a full-time closer role, a shift that would change his place on the roster and potentially give the club a more defined option in save situations if it decides the best fix is to rework the innings it already has. [Read more 🡒]