Why the Cubs can’t afford a slow start to the 2026 season
A season ago, the Chicago Cubs came out of the gates strong. Despite dropping a pair of regular season games in Toyko against the Los Angeles Dodgers, two games below .500 is the deepest hole they found their record in all season as they kicked off April with a five game winning streak, thanks to a sweep of the Athletics and winning the first two out of three against the San Diego Padres.
The Cubs hot start to the season helped them grab an early lead in the National League Central. They held first place for 93 days and in mid-June held a 6.5 game lead in the division. Unfortunately a pair of double digit winning streaks by their division rival, the Milwaukee Brewers, aided them in eventually chipping away and catching Chicago.
Looking ahead to 2026, a similar hot start to the season would be extremely beneficial. Here we break down why.
The Chicago Cubs can’t afford a slow start to the 2026 season
To kick of the 2026 campaign, the Cubs have drawn a pretty easy first six games. While at home, they will face the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels. After that things get a little tougher with series on the road against the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays, but by the end of the month Chicago has a gauntlet stretch of games.
From April 13-29, 13 of 16 games games will be played against playoff teams from a season ago. All those opponents, the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres are expected to be in the mix again. Notably, the three games not against post season teams from a season ago are against the New York Mets, who just missed out on October baseball a season ago.
Logistically, the travel during this 16-game stretch isn’t ideal either. Chicago heads to Philadelphia for a quick three-game road trip, returns home for a seven game homestand, where they have to face the Philadelphia Phillies for four more games, and then immediately begin a seven-game swing on the West Coast.
In other words, the Cubs will quickly find themselves tested early in the 2026 season. A strong start against teams like the Nationals and Angels could provide a valuable cushion before the schedule tightens and the competition ramps up. Falling behind during that late-April stretch against contenders such as the Phillies, Dodgers, and Padres could make it difficult to keep pace in a National League Central that figures to be competitive again.
If Chicago hopes to avoid the late-season pressure it faced a year ago, banking wins early will be critical. Another hot start may not guarantee a division title, but it could give the Cubs the breathing room they’ll need once the schedule, and the travel, inevitably get tougher.
The post Why the Cubs can’t afford a slow start to the 2026 season appeared first on ChiCitySports.
Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-cant-afford-slow-start-2026-season/
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