The Chicago Cubs’ bullpen has been a headache for weeks, but there’s a reason to look past that mess and feel a little better about October: the offense has been absurd.
By FanGraphs batting WAR, the 2026 Cubs have already passed the World Series-winning 2016 team. That alone tells you how loud this group has been at the plate, and Wednesday’s finale against the Atlanta Braves only pushed the point further. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman each piled up three extra-base hits, and the club’s fWAR climbed to 36.2 on the season.
That mark leads all MLB teams and sits nearly 12 points ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers at 24.3 and the Los Angeles Dodgers at 24.2, two clubs Chicago will almost certainly have to get through if it wants a pennant.
Crow-Armstrong and Bregman have become the engine of the lineup. Crow-Armstrong’s National League MVP case looks all but settled, while Bregman’s blazing second half has turned plenty of doubters into believers. When those two are locked in, the Cubs can overwhelm a game in a hurry.
They’re not carrying the offense alone, either. Seiya Suzuki has posted a 132 wRC+, Michael Busch sits at 110 wRC+, and Carson Kelly is at 106 wRC+, giving Chicago enough depth behind its stars to keep pressure on opposing staffs.
That matters because the pitching side of the equation is still shaky. The bullpen remains hard to trust in any save situation right now, and that’s the kind of flaw that can wreck a postseason run in a hurry.
Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes are lined up as the Game 1 and 2 starters, but both have been streaky since arriving in Chicago. If the Cubs are going to stack up with arms like Jacob Misiorowski, Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Tarik Skubal, they’ll need both starters at their very best.
For now, though, Chicago’s path is clear. If the position players keep producing at this historic level, and if the defense continues to be the best in baseball, the Cubs can still give themselves a real shot at their first championship in a decade.
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Cubs Fans Have One More Reason To Love Their Core Right Now
The Cubs have spent the past stretch making a clear point about where theyre headed, and Pete Crow-Armstrong is now part of that long-term picture after signing a six-year, $115 million extension. It comes on the heels of the club locking in Nico Hoerner on a six-year, $135 million deal and adding Alex Bregman in free agency, a set of moves that gives Chicago a legitimate core to build around for years rather than months.
For a fan base that has waited to see a plan sharpen into something concrete, the timing matters almost as much as the money. Chicago has secured its own foundation, while elsewhere in the division theres still uncertainty around top talent and long-range commitment, which only adds to the sense that the Cubs are trying to get ahead of the usual roster churn before it arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Crow-Armstrongs MVP Rise Started With One Big Change
Pete Crow-Armstrongs breakout season has given the Cubs exactly the kind of star turn they have spent years hoping to see, and the latest surge only added to the sense that something bigger is unfolding. In a recent game, he launched two home runs and added a triple, pushing his OPS to .956 and layering more milestones onto a year already packed with them. He now owns the Cubs record for most single-season home runs by a left-handed hitter and has tied Ernie Banks for the most homers by a Cub before age 25 with 44.
Behind the power, though, there has been a quieter evolution that helps explain why this has looked sustainable rather than fleeting. Hitting coach Dustin Kelly has pointed to better plate discipline, more selective aggression and Crow-Armstrongs ability to do damage across the strike zone as the foundation of the jump. For the Cubs, the appeal is obvious: this is not just a hot streak from a young player, but a version of him that seems built to keep forcing pitchers into tough choices. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Face A Justin Steele Decision That Could Shape October
Justin Steeles rehab path has taken another encouraging step, and for a Cubs club still sorting out the back end of its staff, the timing matters. After left elbow surgery, Steele has worked through minor league starts and logged his best outing yet, enough to put his status back into the conversation as Chicago pushes deeper into the season.
The question now is whether the Cubs see enough to bring him back in a bullpen role for the postseason chase or decide the safer move is to keep waiting. The organization already opted to shut down Shelby Miller in a similar situation, which makes Steeles next turn feel especially important as the front office weighs short-term help against long-term caution. [Read more 🡒]