The 2026 Cubs are off to an historic start. It’s an exceedingly rare occurrence to have two distinct 10-game winning streaks over a team’s first 39 games. Certainly none of us have seen the Cubs do anything like this before. For what it’s worth, just from an overall standpoint, it only took the 2016 Cubs 40 games to win 29. The Cubs will take at least 41 to get there and that would mean sweeping this series. After reaching 29 wins, though, that 2016 team lost three straight. If these Cubs split their
next four games, they will have matched those Cubs through 43 games.
I traditionally abhor comparisons like that. Chasing the best seasons (or best players) in your team’s history just sets you up for failure. This team is very much different than that one. But more importantly, this team could win more games than that one in the regular season and not win a championship. Or, it could lose more regular season games but go on to win anyway. While regular season success has some correlation to postseason success there are many factors that can be predictive of postseason success. That’s why I don’t like comparisons. Instead, I like to let each season breathe and be its own thing.
Through a fresh lens, I’m able to relax and enjoy myself more. To enjoy what each win can bring. Right now, I’m enjoying underestimating this team. I’m normally such an optimist when it comes to them. I feel like I’m usually a little bit disappointed because that they leave some winnable games on the table. Not this team, though. Over the first few weeks of the season, maybe they let one or two get away. But over these last 23 games? Just one game in San Diego that maybe a couple more plays might have flipped. Otherwise, this team just keeps winning. They win when everything clicks. They win when things are rough.
20 wins in 23 games. It really is quite remarkable. It’s the kind of run that an all-time great NBA team might go on. It’s usually the kind of run we only really see out of the best few NCAA hoops teams in a given year. It is a wholly remarkable streak for an MLB team to have. It’s frankly inconceivable. And a whole lot of fun. And I just don’t want it to end. Keep the greed rolling. I don’t know where all of this ends, but let’s just keep tearing up the script.
Three Positives:
- Ben Brown got things started (hat tip to two red-hot Cubs in Michael Conforto and Ian Happ for staking him a lead four batters into the game). Ben threw four innings with just one walk standing between him and perfection. I thought for sure that three innings would be the best we could possibly expect. And he beat that expectation.
- Seiya Suzuki gave the Cubs some cushion with a two-run homer. He also drew two walks and ended up scoring two total runs.
- Javier Assad threw 3.2 innings of relief, needing 12 batters to get 11 outs. Between Assad and Brown, they faced 25 Rangers and allowed two walks and one hit. The Rangers offense was kept very, very quiet.
Hat tip to just about everyone, but particularly Pete Crow-Armstrong, who had two more hits including a double the other way and stole a base. OPS .721 and climbing (wRC+ 103)
Game 39, May 8: Cubs 7, Rangers 1 (27-12)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
- Superhero: Ben Brown (.212). 4 IP, 13 BF, 0 H, BB, 0 ER, 3 K
- Hero: Javier Assad (.194). 3.2 IP, 12 BF, H, BB, 0 ER, K (W 3-1)
- Sidekick: Seiya Suzuki (.133). 1-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R
THREE GOATS:
- Billy Goat: Ryan Rolison (-.155). 0.1 IP, 4 BF, H, 2 BB, ER
- Goat: Carson Kelly (-.056). 0-4
- Kid: Nico Hoerner (-.052). 0-5
WPA Play of the Game: Seiya Suzuki’s two-run homer with no outs in the fourth extended the Cub lead to three. (.159)
*Rangers Play of the Game: Justin Foscue singled with runners on first and second and one out in the fifth, scoring the Rangers only run and briefly cutting the Cub lead to two. (.106)
Player of the Game:
Game 38 Winner: Shōta Imanaga received 204 of 289 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
- Michael Conforto +12
- Shōta Imanaga +10
- Michael Bsuch +9
- Dansby Swanson/Jacob Webb/Caleb Thielbar/Phil Maton -6
- Matt Shaw -9
- Seiya Suzuki -13
Current Win Pace: 112.15 wins
Up Next: Game two of the three-game set on Saturday night in Texas. Edward Cabrera (3-0, 3.27, 41.1 IP) makes his eighth start as a Cub. He’s thrown at least five innings in every start and has allowed exactly three earned runs in five consecutive starts (winning three of those). So you kind of know what to expect out of him. In two road starts, he’s allowed three runs in 11.1 innings.
26-year-old Jack Leiter (1-3, 5.45, 38) makes his eighth start of the year. The second overall pick by the Rangers is one of five different family members to pitch professionally. Most of us know his cousin Mark Jr. best, former Cub. Al Leiter is Jack’s dad and Mark Leiter Sr. his uncle. One can only imagine what a family softball game might look like. Jack has made 45 appearances at the big league level, 42 of them starts, with a 4.91 ERA. So he hasn’t quite lived up to the hype of the 2nd overall pick yet. But he does have 43 strikeouts in his 38 innings, so the stuff is real. Last time out, he allowed five runs on five hits and a walk in 6.2 innings, striking out 10. He was the loser in that one and hasn’t won since his season debut back on March 30.
Keep finding ways to win.
Go Cubs.
