The Cubs took two of three from the National League East division-leading Braves at Wrigley Field, winning the series. Once again, likely NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong led the Cubs offense with two home runs and a triple, but as has often been the case this season he’s had company with another teammate having a big game. On Wednesday night that backup act was Alex Bregman who put on an offensive show of his own [VIDEO]
.In addition to hitting
his 26th bomb of the year, Bregman added a triple and a double on the night. It was just another great night at the ballpark for the 32-year-old third baseman who has a 5 fWAR season in his first year with the Cubs, the first such year for him since 2022. Bregman has really turned a corner since the All Star Break, as you can see from his splits below:
It’s been a pretty big turnaround since mid-July for Bregman and it’s mostly apparent on the power front. You can see that in both the Isolated Slugging (ISO) above but also just in the home run tally with Bregman almost doubling his home run total from the first half in 180 fewer plate appearances. But what really puts these numbers in perspective is the league context. Below you can see the top 15 players in MLB by fWAR since the All Star Break (is it any wonder the Cubs lead the league offensively with three guys in the top 15?):
Bregman hasn’t just been good in the second half, he’s been the best hitter in baseball by some metrics. The above chart is sorted by fWAR but if it were resorted by wRC+, a stat that measures hitters run production off a league and park normed baseline of 100, Bregman would rank first, followed by a virtual tie between Fernando Tatis, Jr. and PCA. Bregman is also pacing the field in wOBA, a fancy on-base percentage that gives hitters more credit for extra base hits.
Bregman hasn’t just turned it on in the second half, he’s returned to vintage Bregman. In fact, by the end of 2026 a glance at his slash line will show 2026 as his best season by fWAR since 2022. His process in scrutinizing his at bats and making adjustments is obvious to anyone watching him study the tape in the dugout after an at bat, but if you’re more of a chart type you can also see the adjustment below:
You can see how Bregman’s wOBA and ground ball rate are inversely correlated pretty clearly in this chart. As Bregman has hit the ball in the air more, he’s gotten better production. The results speak for themselves [VIDEO].
It’s a good sign that the Cubs offense has kept rolling as they past the mid-point of September. With nine games left to play, they’ll need Bregman, PCA and Seiya Suzuki to keep setting a torrid pace offensively as they try to out hit their pitching woes down the stretch and into the Wild Card round.
