With deadline reinforcements and PCA playing like an MVP, the Chicago Cubs have a newfound level of confidence
CHICAGO — What a difference a year makes for the Chicago Cubs.
Following the 2025 trade deadline, there was a feeling that the team didn't do enough to make a real run in the postseason. For a team that needed starting pitching, the Cubs' deadline moves left a lot to be desired. Then sure enough, it was the lack of pitching that came back to bite the team in its NLDS loss to Milwaukee.
But one year later and in a similar spot position, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer was as aggressive as any executive in baseball at this year's trade deadline. The result is an organization that looks like one of the clear winners of the deadline and a roster that has responded to the moves by playing like one of the hottest teams in the sport.
The vibes are high right now on the corner of Clark and Addison, as they should be. Simply put, the Cubs are playing their best baseball of the season lately. Chicago is 35-21 since June 1, which ranks third in MLB behind only the red-hot Boston Red Sox and the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers.
For the first four months of the season, the Cubs were the streakiest team in baseball, as both the offense and the rotation had their fair share of highs and lows. Nearly every Cubs position player went through a prolonged slump, and almost every one of the team's starting pitchers landed on the injured list at least once, leading to a lot of inconsistency from the roster as a whole. The Cubs logged two 10-game winning streaks and one 10-game losing streak.
But in the second half, everything has started to fall into place. Offensively, Chicago's stars have started to find a groove. Second baseman Nico Hoerner and third baseman Alex Bregman have both been on a tear, with a .402 OBP and .500 SLG in the second half, respectively. Seiya Suzuki has rediscovered his power after a slow start to the season, with 12 home runs since the beginning of June. And center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, with a 1.028 OPS in the second half, is making a case for NL MVP.
With that, the lineup has been able to support a reinvigorated starting staff. Since June 1, the Cubs' 3.66 starter ERA is fifth-lowest in baseball. In that time, the Cubs have gotten strong performances from Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd, and the recently acquired David Peterson has been as good as anyone over the past month. Acquired as an emergency stopgap in a June trade with the Mets, Peterson has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his seven starts for Chicago. The Cubs' left-hander is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his past five outings.
And now, reinforcements have arrived. The Cubs had arguably the best trade deadline of any team in baseball, addressing nearly all of their roster needs. Chicago added right-handers Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes to the rotation and reliever Ryan Zeferjahn to the bullpen, plus southpaw Braxton Garrett. They acquired outfielder Tyrone Taylor as an option off the bench.
That deadline refresh will allow Chicago to restack the deck in the rotation for the stretch run. Over the final two months, the Cubs will be able to sort out what their ideal playoff rotation looks like beyond Gausman and Holmes, who are both postseason-caliber starting pitchers. Right-hander Edward Cabrera has been on a rehab assignment but should be back within the next few weeks. Most importantly, the Cubs now have plenty of options on the mound after having to fill out the rotation on the fly in the first half.
But even more than the additions at the trade deadline, the thing that has the Cubs feeling so confident is the fact they have Pete Crow-Armstrong in their lineup.
PCA has been on another level since June, slashing .341/.444/.714 with 19 home runs and 17 stolen bases. He has been the catalyst for the Cubs' recent offensive success and has cemented his place as one of the best players in the sport. It takes a special season for someone to put himself in the MVP conversation with the likes of four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, and the Cubs' center fielder has done just that.
In short, Crow-Armstrong has been everything the Cubs hoped he would be after signing a $115 million extension earlier this season. Importantly, he has also shown he can do it for more than half a season, slashing .289/.386/.551 in 2026, with 26 homers, 22 doubles, 7 triples and 29 steals. Not to be forgotten, he's also the best defensive player in baseball, with 13 defensive runs saved and 22 outs above average.
Put it all together, and the Cubs have a newfound level of confidence right now. After sweeping the Dodgers this week and rallying against the Blue Jays on Thursday, it's clear they believe they can beat any team in baseball. A year ago, it was fair to wonder if the Cubs had enough to make a serious playoff run. But 365 days later, this is clearly a team that has the ingredients to do just that.
Early trade deadline results are not great
We're just a few days removed from the trade deadline, and while many players are still settling into their new homes, a few have made rather dubious first impressions.
Several of the starting pitchers who were moved at the deadline struggled in their debuts with their new clubs, including Cleveland Guardians left-hander Foster Griffin (4 IP, 5 ER), Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta (3 2/3 IP, 7 ER), Chicago White Sox right-hander Luis Castillo (4 IP, 5 ER) and San Diego Padres right-hander Casey Mize (3 1/3 IP, 8 ER).
What's worse, it hasn't just been performance where we've seen some initial bad luck. Red Sox infielder Curtis Mead and White Sox catcher Joey Bart were both injured when they were hit by pitches in their first game with their new teams. Mead is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks due to a broken wrist, while Bart suffered a fifth metacarpal fracture in his left hand on Thursday against the Red Sox.
