What to Make of the Cubs Rocky First Week of the 2026 MLB Season
The Chicago Cubs are a team that came into the 2026 MLB season with sky-high expectations. Coming off their electric campaign in 2025, in which they finished the regular season 92-72 and pushed the top seed in the NL to five games in the divisional series, the Cubs returned most of their young core, with outfielder Kyle Tucker being the only major departure from the roster. This offseason, signs pointed to the Cubs being one of the top teams in the MLB. However, they have had an undeniably disappointing start to their season over the past week.
The regular season started with a pair of three-game series against the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Angels, both in the Cubs’ home stadium. The Angels and Nationals are two teams that finished 2025 in last place in their respective divisions, losing 90 games or more. They both had fairly uninspiring off-seasons and are expected to have similarly poor finishes this season. However, they were both able to steal at least one game from the championship contender Cubs, with the Nationals winning two and taking the series. On Friday, April 3rd, the Cubs began a three-game weekend series on the road against the Cleveland Guardians and dropped game one, falling to 3-4 on the season. With such a lackluster beginning to the season, should Cubs fans be worried that this season will end in bitter disappointment once again?
All in all, it’s important not to take anything too seriously at this point in the year. Yes, it’s been a discouraging first week for Chicago, but there’s still plenty to be optimistic about. Newly acquired starting pitcher Edward Cabrera was fabulous in his first start with the team, lasting six innings and striking out five batters with just one hit and no earned runs in a 7-2 victory over the Angels on Monday, March 30th. The Cubs are also anticipating the return of Justin Steele, who missed most of last season with an injury. The offense, while not quite as exciting as it seemed last year, has been quite efficient despite the losses; the team currently sits in the top ten in the league in both RBIs and total runs scored. Cubs fans may have been hoping for a more reassuring start, but a roster this talented is sure to shape up as the season goes on.
