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What went wrong for the 2026 Chicago Cubs? And where do they go from here?

Following another early postseason departure, the Chicago Cubs face a major offseason of evaluation after being swept by the San Diego Padres in the opening round of the playoffs. Manager Craig Counsell acknowledged the disappointing finish and stressed the need for internal improvement moving forward.

Pitching proved to be the primary weakness for the ballclub throughout the stretch run and into the postseason. Despite adding arms such as Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Ryan Zeferjahn prior to the deadline, the reconstructed pitching staff failed to deliver the expected results.

Both the starting rotation and bullpen struggled down the stretch, compounded by a regular season prone to giving up a high volume of home runs. Although the offense led the majors in runs scored and ranked third in home runs behind the leadership of Pete Crow-Armstrong, the bats ultimately went cold when it mattered most.

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