Cubs Set to Face Off with Divisional Foe Pirates for First Time in 2026
The Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates are slated to kick off a three-game weekend series at Wrigley Field on Friday, April 10th, at 2:20 p.m. ET. It will be the first matchup of the 2026 season between the two divisional rivals, and the clubs enter the series in similar standings positions. In a crowded NL Central, the 7-5 Pirates sit in fourth place in the division, while the 6-6 Cubs are in fifth. Both teams have plenty to play for in terms of their positions in the division and league, as well as the simple, undeniable desire to secure a victory against a familiar rival.
While the two teams enter the series separated by just one game, it’s two very different stories for the Cubs and Pirates. Pittsburgh, coming off a 71-91 2025 season in which they finished last in the NL Central for the second consecutive year, seems to be on an ascension from the cellar and is feeling great about their 7-5 start to the season. The Cubs, however, are a team that felt they were one of the top contenders in the National League after their 92-70 campaign in 2025 and are struggling with a disappointing start to the season. Coming into this season, a Cubs-Pirates game seemed like a mismatch, but with one club overperforming and the other underperforming, it’s shaping up to be quite an exciting matchup.
The game’s starters will be Carmen Mlodzinski for Pittsburgh and Shota Imanaga for Chicago. The Cubs’ ace is coming off a strong start in Cleveland this past weekend, in which he pitched five innings with just one earned run and four strikeouts. Mlodzinski, on the other hand, has been a surprisingly strong piece for the Pirates, recording 13 strikeouts in just two starts so far. The Cubs’ and Pirates’ offenses both rank in the top ten in the MLB in home runs hit so far this season, and it’ll be a huge deciding factor in this game to see how well the pitchers can contain the opposing team’s offense.
It looks like Chicago and Pittsburgh could be gearing up for a high-scoring game in the series opener. These are two very strong offenses, even if the Cubs are still struggling to live up to their full potential at the plate. The mound presence of Imanaga makes it easy to favor the Cubs in this one, but the Pirates are not to be underestimated. Pittsburgh is shaping up to be a formidable foe in the NL Central after years of living at the bottom of the standings.
The Pirates have all the momentum coming into this game. 7-3 over their last ten games and overperforming expectations, Pittsburgh comes into Chicago feeling like it’s their time to shine. Morale is low in the Cubs’ dugout amid a disheartening start to the season, but they’re still a very talented roster capable of beating just about anyone. Given the current form of both teams, the Cubs seem more positioned to secure a 7-5 win in the opener against the Pirates.
