2025 Record: 92-70, 2nd in NL Central
Key Offseason Additions: 3B Alex Bregman, LHP Shota Imanaga, RHP Phil Maton, RHP Hunter Harvey, LHP Caleb Thielbar, LHP Hoby Milner, RHP Jacob Webb, 1B Tyler Austin, RHP Edward Cabrera
The Cubs would not have been on this list a week ago, which goes to show what a big-ticket trade and a huge free-agent splash can do for a team’s reputation.
Chicago’s five-year, $175 million deal with Bregman is chef’s kiss stuff. He’s a proven winner who offers an impact bat and glove at the hot corner, so he checks all three boxes for what the Cubs needed—especially the bat, as third base produced a 29th-ranked .621 OPS last year.
Cabrera could be anywhere from a No. 4 to a No. 1 in the Cubs’ current rotation, and there are reasons to bet the over. Health and consistency have eluded him throughout his career, but any guy who throws 97 mph and has two pitches with 40-plus whiff rates has ace potential.
Meanwhile, the Cubs have four newcomers in their bullpen. That should be a change for the better, especially if the new guys help solve the home run problem that plagued Cubs relievers in 2025.
The Cubs aren’t on the same level as the Dodgers, but they have positioned themselves to get revenge on the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Depending on what happens elsewhere, that alone could be a ticket to a first-round bye this October.
