You all know that the Cubs struggled for the first 16 games of 2026, going 7-9.
Since then it’s been almost all winning — 10 straight, then three losses, and now entering Wednesday night’s game against the Reds on a seven-game winning streak (and also 13 consecutive wins at Wrigley Field).
I decided to see how this year’s 24-12 start ranked in franchise history.
Just four teams in Cubs franchise history had more wins over their first 36 games than the 2026 edition. You’ll be pleased to know that three
of those four Cubs clubs made the World Series and two of those were World Series champions:
| Rk | Team | Span Started | Span Ended | W | Final Record | Rank | Postseason | G | W | L | WL% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHC | 1907-04-11 | 1907-05-30 (1) | 28 | 107-45 | 1 | WS Champ | 36 | 28 | 8 | .778 |
| 2 | CHC | 2016-04-04 | 2016-05-15 | 27 | 103-58 | 1 | WS Champ | 36 | 27 | 9 | .750 |
| 3 | CHC | 1906-04-12 | 1906-05-21 | 25 | 116-36 | 1 | NL Pennant | 36 | 25 | 11 | .694 |
| 4 | CHC | 1903-04-16 | 1903-05-28 | 25 | 82-56 | 3 | 36 | 25 | 11 | .694 | |
| 5 | CHC | 2026-03-26 | 2026-05-05 | 24 | 24-12 | 1 | 36 | 24 | 12 | .667 | |
| 6 | CHC | 1969-04-08 | 1969-05-17 | 24 | 92-70 | 2 | 36 | 24 | 12 | .667 | |
| 7 | CHC | 1918-04-16 | 1918-06-01 | 24 | 84-45 | 1 | NL Pennant | 36 | 24 | 12 | .667 |
| 8 | CHC | 1910-04-14 | 1910-06-02 | 24 | 104-50 | 1 | NL Pennant | 36 | 24 | 12 | .667 |
As you can see, the one team among the four that was better than 24-12 that didn’t win the NL pennant was the 1903 team, who dropped out of first place in early June and finished third at 82-56, eight games out of first place. It was the team’s best finish since 1891 and kind of a precursor to the dominance the franchise had over the rest of that decade.
Three other Cubs teams matched this year’s 24-12 start. Two of them (1910 and 1918) won NL pennants but lost the World Series. The other is the star-crossed 1969 team. This year’s club is far better stocked to avoid what happened in 1969, plus they have a better, more engaged manager.
Four of the seven Cubs teams that have previously gone at least 24-12 over their first 36 games won 100 games or more, including, of course, the 2016 Cubs. That’s four of the six teams in Cubs history that have won 100 games or more (the others: 1909 and 1935).
All of this is to say that with the exception of 2016, it’s been a very long time since any Cubs team has done what the 2026 version has accomplished over the season’s first six weeks.
In addition, the Cubs now have five walk-off wins this year, which is two more than anyone else. The franchise record for walk-off wins in a season is 14, set in 1930. The 2015 Cubs had 13 walk-off wins. The MLB record for walk-off wins in a season is 17, set by the Pirates in 1959 and matched by them in 1977.
The Cubs have a chance at those marks.
And all of this has been accomplished with:
- One starting pitcher (Matthew Boyd) missing three weeks with a bicep issue
- One starting pitcher (Cade Horton) making two starts and then going out for the season with Tommy John surgery
- Several relief pitchers hitting the IL, with nine (!) relievers who started the year at Triple-A Iowa pitching for the Cubs
- And a couple of key hitters (Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch) getting off to slow starts. Busch has come on of late, batting .300/.400/.500 (24-for-80) over his last 21 games, with five doubles, a triple, three home runs and 17 RBI.
Just imagine how good this team could be if everyone gets healthy and productive.
I see echoes of 2016 in this year’s Cubs. It’s not the same sort of club; no team can replicate past successes exactly. One thing the 2026 Cubs do is epitomize the idea of “next man up.” Every day seems to bring a new hero, the team’s getting production out of pretty much every single player on the 26-man roster (and those added due to injury). That’s definitely a recipe for success.
With 126 games remaining, of course, anything can happen. But the 2026 Cubs appear to be on a journey to a deep October run.
