I get it, it’s the easy, knee-jerk reaction to blame one guy in the dugout, but let’s be real here, the Chicago Cubs flat out suck right now. Sure, yell at Craig Counsell after pinch-hitting Michael Conforto for Miguel Amaya or not using certain relievers in high-leverage spots recently, but the guys who are supposed hit aren’t, and the guys who are supposed to stop the other team from scoring aren’t really doing that either.
Monday’s 6-4 loss was the latest example of how miserable the Cubs have been to watch. The offense put up little fight against a struggling starter and was then shut down by the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen. Jameson Taillon ended up with a quality start, allowing only three earned runs over six innings. Yet, there was still some frustration seeing him immediately surrender a 2-0 lead. At the very least, Taillon was able to get back on track and kept the team in it after it looked like it could get ugly in the middle innings. Unfortunately, the bullpen gave up more runs.
The Cubs are 4-6, and so far, they’ve displayed many more concerns than the manager.
As a team, the Cubs enter Tuesday night’s game against the Rays with an 84 wRC+ (25th in MLB), and the bullpen has allowed eight home runs (5th most in MLB), so forgive me if the manager isn’t at the top of my shit list through 10 games.
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The Offense Stinks
So, 25th in MLB with an 84 wRC+, and if you’re more of an OPS+ person, then the Cubs are 22nd with an 87 OPS+. At a .199 batting average, the Cubs are the third-worst hitting team in baseball, and they’ve hit the sixth fewest home runs, with 10.
Right now, the Cubs are averaging 4.1 runs per game, and it gets much worse when you consider that they scored 10 of their 41 runs in one game, the second game of the season against the Washington Nationals. Some of that has been brutal-hitting conditions in Chicago and Cleveland, but Monday’s game in Tampa Bay also marked the fifth time this season the offense hasn’t recorded more than five hits.
Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong, who combined to hit 65 home runs in 2025, have zero in 83 plate appearances so far this year. Meanwhile, the Cubs have exactly two qualified hitters with above-average results on offense, Nico Hoerner (143 wRC+) and Ian Happ (132 wRC+). Add in Miguel Amaya too, as he’s 5-for-12, but he’s only had 15 plate appearances in 10 games.
You certainly hope that Seiya Suzuki’s return changes the dynamic of the lineup, as the right-handed hitting slugger is expected to come back on Friday. Yet, these guys also have to step up because the numbers are flat-out ugly.
Carson Kelly: 89 wRC+
Matt Shaw: 87 wRC+
Michael Busch: 68 wRC+
Alex Bregman: 59 wRC+
Dansby Swanson: 46 wRC+
Pete Crow-Armstrong: 42 wRC+
Moises Ballesteros: 17 wRC+
As a team, the Cubs are in the middle of the pack with a 7.7 barrel %, but a 45.9 hard-hit rate that is the third-highest in MLB suggests they’re due for positive regression.
Bullpen Has a Home Run Problem
Caleb Thielbar and Daniel Palencia are the only relievers who have not given up any runs out of the Cubs’ bullpen through the team’s first 10 games. Colin Rea has allowed two runs, but I’ll give him a pass because he’s pitched 6.1 innings in his two relief outings.
The overall ERA isn’t awful, as the Cubs’ bullpen comes in at 4.50, 11th in MLB, but allowing eight home runs in 38 innings brings the home rate to the fourth-worst HR/9 in baseball. Most of them have also been back-breaking for the Cubs.
March 26:
Ben Brown gives up a 2-run HR, the Cubs’ deficit goes from 5-2 to 7-2 in the 4th inning (Cubs lose 10-4)
March 29:
Hoby Milner gives up a 2-run HR, the Cubs’ deficit goes from 4-2 to 6-2 in the 8th inning (Cubs lose 6-3)
April 3:
Hunter Harvey gives up a solo HR and a 2-run HR, tied 1-1 games goes to a 4-1 deficit in the 7th inning (Cubs lose 4-1)
April 5:
Jacob Webb gives up a solo HR, 4-3 Cubs lead goes to tied game in the 8th inning (Cubs lose 6-5)
April 6:
Phil Maton gives up a 2-run HR, the Cubs’ deficit goes from 4-3 to 6-3 in the 7th inning (Cubs lose 6-4)
Ben Brown has appeared in three games; he’s given up runs twice. Phil Maton has appeared in four games; he’s given up runs twice. Jacob Webb has appeared in four games; he’s given up runs twice.
For some reason, the Cubs have had the unfortunate trend of having a shitty bullpen early in the season before turning it around, and actually being elite for the majority of the year for the past three seasons. So, fingers crossed that it happens again in 2026, because so far these guys have not inspired much confidence, aside from Thielbar and Palencia.
