Did this Chicago Cubs team hit their CEILING?

Did this Chicago Cubs team hit their CEILING?

It’s been a weird day so far just reflecting on this season. The Cubs don’t play baseball tonight. We talk about it all next. You are Locked on Cubs, your daily Chicago Cubs podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network. Your team every day. You are Locked On Cubs, part of the Locked On Network. your team every day. Alongside Sam Olber, I’m Matt Cozy. Sam and I are lifelong fans taking our passion into a discussion with you on all things Cubs. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app today. And another reminder, we’re still doing brand new shows this off season, five days per week. And today we will go over final uh stats of all the main group of players uh the starting nine rotation and bullpen top 10 games of the regular season. And we start uh by continuing to reflect on the 2025 season which came to a close on Saturday. 92 wins, first postseason appearance in a full year since 18. First postseason series win since 17. One win away from the Final Four. five wins away from advancing to the to the WS, but the Cubs exit on Saturday, Sam, it’s starting to make more sense to me. Uh, no Steel, no Horton, a bullpen that was starting to to get spent in the playoffs, a rotation that had mixed results in the playoffs, an offense that that really just did enough. I am wondering was this the ceiling for this this 2025 Cubs team? Well, you know, I’ve been I I’ve been between two directions uh the last I don’t know 36 hours. Um and it’s been 50 5050 uh both ways. And the first direction is been what I expected and and how I felt Saturday night when we were doing this very program, which was, hey, look, 92 wins, um, four playoff wins, which Matt, believe it or not, is the same amount of playoff wins they had in 15 and 17, obviously with an extra with an extra round at at their disposal this season. Um it did not feel like a great team for four of the six months of the season. Um they were beaten by a team that was better than them for four of the six months of the season. They showed a lot of fight down 20 to force a game five. And it’s not a it’s not a hey let’s wave the pompoms around amazing year perspective by any means but it’s a hey this was progress. We got to midocctober. Um, and it was a good season. that that’s that’s one direction, but as you know, with time there’s another direction that pops up in my brain and and that’s the the worst question um maybe in life a and that’s what if and I just I just feel like it is fair to question when you are one game away from the final four as as you call it, right? when you’re one game away from the championship series, when you’re one game away from going up against the defending champs in front of the entire country and and maybe the globe, you have to ask questions about what you could have done differently because let’s be honest, they didn’t go all in. They So, so do you mean during the like during the season or even before the March 18th? Great point. I’m getting there. Both. Okay. Uh, after they acquired Tucker there, we knew they needed another pitcher. This is before Justin Steel got hurt. Um, they didn’t do it at the trade deadline. Th This is before we knew Kate Horton was going to become the best pitcher in baseball. And I understand it was complicated and it was 200 cents on the dollar, but you went out and got Sroa. You know, Kitri helped you, Rogers didn’t. We talked for almost four months in this this chair into this camera about needing another bat and the bat they got was Willie Castro who literally who literally contributed as much as I did in the postseason. So that that part of it hard you know Jet they they decided to stand pat and worry about the future. And it’s a fair question that Matt they could win 95 games next year. they could win the division and not get as close as they got this year to the championship series. So, I am I am both in in in a corner of, hey, I’m proud of these guys. It was probably time for this season to end and they weren’t great versus man, you know, should they have gone all in? And and I I toss this back to you with a question. What’s more valuable, a championship season followed by, let’s say, three straight years of irrelevancy or being a 90 plus 88 win team for three straight years but not getting to the championship series. It’s the former, right? I I agree. And and so it’s the former. And I’m going to tell you why right now. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Because 88, by the way, you you you plugged in a number 88 wins, that that’s not going to cut it for me, right? It’s got to be it’s got to start with a nine. Okay? If they win 89 G for for example, just real quick, if they win 89 games next year, right, that would be that would be a regression in my mind. I mean, literally, it’s a progression, but that a championship season does so much for for that organization. And yeah, to start to to get there, you need to you need to do as much as you can, build as much of a resume. They’re now in, you know, year what was this? Year five. Yep. Year five of this new era. and and they they finally make the postseason. But my what if game, Sam, is from a performance standpoint. Not as much like, oh, who would you have rather started on Saturday? Sandy Alcantra or Colin Ray. It’s more performance, right? Kyle Tucker. This is likely his only year here. Okay. And yes, he could have done more in the postseason especially. It was it was a a um a peculiar season for him in times, but but take advantage while he’s here. Pete Crow Armstrong at least his first 90 to 100 games. Is that going to happen soon again? This was Carson Kelly’s career year, Sam? Yep. This was Brad Keller’s career year. Felbar, Pomerance, uh, Matthew Boyd, remember when we all thought 120 innings was the goal for him? He threw 180 plus innings, including the playoffs. Exactly. I don’t know if this is all going to happen again. I don’t have a crystal ball. So, the time to take advantage of performances may have been this time. That’s why that’s the what if questions for me. It’s fair. But but reflecting on it, I don’t have I don’t have disappointment necessarily in terms of the collective. I No, no, sorry. Sorry. I didn’t know you were done. I I just I just have my connections a little bit wonky. Um, look, I think your point’s really really well made and I think we’re making the same point from a different perspective, right? Your point is did you miss on an opportunity because of all the performances that you got and and I think and my per and my and mine is off because of the performances that you got. You came within one game and you just you just don’t know if that’s going to happen again. And my point’s even almost the opposite but the same in the sense that what if you’re even better next year but you could just get bounced in four in the DS. It just it just happens. It’s Yeah, it’s it’s a weird it’s a weird thing. But look, I still am more in the camp of it was a good year, golf clap, let’s move forward. And I think this this playoff series that’s about to begin between the Dodgers and the Brewers will will impact that, right? Because if the Brewers, let’s say they upset the Dodgers, in a way it makes you feel close, but it also is like what? Like why didn’t we do more? Now granted, I’ve said this before, I think the Brewers match up with the Dodgers much better than the Cubs do because of just how to put the bat on the ball against tough pitching. But if the Dodgers if the Dodgers go in and win in four like a lot of people think they’re going to do, I don’t, but a lot of people do, then wait till sweep or winning four or five, whatever, where it’s just obvious the gap. Let’s just say it’s obvious there’s a gap. Then you come back and you’re just kind of like, all right, like even if we did push A, B, and C buttons, we probably it would have been one more round. So, I do think this series does impact that. But yeah, just two just two perspectives and and just it’s hard to see a path this week to the Cubs beating the Dodgers, wasn’t it? Absolutely. But but a big reason why I want to finish this segment by saying this. Yeah. When Jed Hoyer speaks, which will probably be Tuesday, I don’t want to hear about the Cade Horton injury excuse because nobody thought he was going to be that good, including the Cubs, this fast. That was what you’re you’re talking about the Carson Kelly. One of the biggest things was just Kate Horton being the best pitcher in baseball in the second half. That kind of literally saved their pitching and it was just like that wasn’t something that anybody had checked up. That was just that’s a great addition to my list. Yeah, it’s a great addition. And it’s like, you know, you could have you could have it felt like this season its ceiling got brought down about 10 feet uh after July 31st. And I think that’s the point I’m trying to make. Well, and I speaking of Jed Hoyer’s presser, which we don’t know if it’s going to be Tuesday yet. I thought they would I thought they would announce that today. Last year, I remember you noted he didn’t ever say the word championship, right? If that happens again, what I I do wonder what your reaction to that will be. So, we’ll have to we’ll have to wait and see for that. Uh later final numbers of of really the main core of the team maybe with with some in like kind of a trivia way. Uh next we’re going to do the top 10 games of the regular season. Stay tuned. This episode is brought to you by Monarch Money. Most people can’t name all their financial accounts or even what they’re worth, whether it’s 401ks, properties, or investments. And when you don’t have the full picture, you can end up leaving money on the table. That’s why there is monarch money. 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Use code lockdown MLB at monarchmoney.com in your browser for half off your first year. That’s 50% off your first year at monarchmoney.com with code lockedon ml. Shout out to the everydayers. You can become a locked on cubs everyday by joining us for every episode throughout the week. All right. Coming up uh the next couple of weeks, we’re going to be uh profiling every regular in the lineup as well as the rotation. bullpen, Craig Councel, Jed Hoyer. Um, and and for a lot of that, we will move the ball down the field and and ask questions for 2026 and, uh, different things like that as well. Uh, also, you know, many looming questions for the off season about how this team could get better, different decisions they will need to make, could make, um, would all be coming up as well, probably probably later uh, this month. So, while 25 is still fresh, in front of me, I have the top 10 games of the regular season. I’m not here yet. And uh this was this was helpful for me to do today. It was a helpful exercise. Was it really? It was. I to the to the fact How are you feeling by the way today? Like like I I I wanna Let me I’m I’m sorry. This is what I’m what I’m about to do. You keep going. You keep going. I don’t know if if you want. So, actually, I have to ask you this off air, but I I I this this did so much for me that I thought about trying to log in MLP TV and watching bits and pieces of these games. It’s too early. It’s too early for that. No, but it it for me it it might not be. It’s it’s like a Thanksgiving day. I’m feeling much better today than I did Saturday. Do you want to know what’s made me feel better today? What? The outpouring. Don’t say the Bears. No. No. The outpouring of messages that I got from listeners. I got about 50 of them uh um after the season ended. And um they were just amazing. And I got to tell you, like 10 of them were from Brewers fans. Uh which is just uh you know, it’s been a nice day reading the last two days reading what people have said. That’s made me feel better. I can’t look at a Cubs game right now. I can’t even I I I can’t even look at my C my Cubs hat and I only have Cubs hats and and I’m having problems with my hair right now. So, you’re going to see me in hats a lot this off season. Well, I will say this in terms of current baseball. I was thinking about waiting till next Friday when the World Series starts to watch again. Uhhuh. But the Brewers Dodgers series is pretty compelling for multiple reasons as we’ve we’ve said the last couple of shows. Look at this. Uh yeah, you might need to get some work some work done on that. Uh yeah. Do you have do you have any do you have any plans for that? Yeah. Um you know, hoping it looks better than it does right now for your hair. Okay. Mhm. All right. Let’s go uh from 10 to one here. Uh number 10. This was also I did a lot of digging this this weekend for planning purposes. I can’t believe you did this. This is so important. episodes basically all of last October, November. Hey, what were the three segments every day? Mhm. And uh also a little bit from this past summer. And I have to tell you, we did a top five games thing at the All-Star break. Not many additions here from the second half. Okay. Uh which is too bad. Are you Are you including the postseason? No, but okay. But we should we might as well. Well, I was just thinking I mean to me the the top four games for me are the ones that they won in the playoffs, you know. So that was your top four. Yeah, probably. And and then and then maybe the the Diamondback game at Wrigley and and and the Dodger one of the Dodger games at Wrigley. Those are the two that stick out. Yeah, that those are my one and two, Sam, for the regular season. Yeah. 1110 over the Dodgers, 13-11 over the Diamondbacks. Yeah. Yeah, back when we you also have those couple games against the Reds. I had I had Horton and Ske on here from September uh 16th. Mhm. When the Cubs beat SK behind Horton. Um also that game where PCA hit the scoreboard, made that big catch, that was their high water mark, six and a half over the Brewers. That that was the peak of the season. That was the peak of the season. So June 17th, you consider the peak? Yes. Wow. When PCA hit that made that catch and hit the scoreboard against the Brewers and we went up six and a half, I remember thinking to myself, it we this kid and that’s why PCA is going to be such a big talking point. I remember saying to myself, this kid might just take us as far as we want to go. Yeah, there was a lot of a lot of imagining going on at the time. Well, and to your point, that’s why five of the six top six games on my list is from June 17th or before and uh you know, even one of them afterwards as well. Like here, I’ll bounce around a little bit. So, I had both Red’s games in there as well. I had the second Red’s game at number six. Number seven, the the Labor Day comeback down six to one going to the bottom of the fifth. The Cubs beat the Braves 6-5. That was a fun game. The 76 rather. That was a fun game. But look, how about this one? This is number eight. This is way back on May 13th. The Cubs were down to the Marlins four to2 in the going to the bottom of the ninth. The Turner walk-off, right? Turner walk-off. Yeah. Yeah, that was that was fun. That was fun. Uh number nine, the eight home runs on Independence Day. Yeah. I mean, you could there’s a lot of the Cubs Cardinal series this year was so weird. I mean, I think it ended up fairly close. Cubs beat him, but uh but when the Cubs beat him, I think they they outscored him. Every game I felt like nine 10 runs. Yeah, number 10 was a floater, but I I wanted to sneak in another first half game. So, I literally put the last game of the first half was one to one with the Yankees for a while. They won 4-1. Yeah. But you can also do uh the 100 game against the Brewers on May 2nd. which I titled my short after that game statement made and uh about five months later uh they eliminated us from the postseason. So and won the division. If you had to rank the postseason wins, what was what was number one? Was it game four of of the DS or was it the wild card clincher or the wild card opener? I think the clincher would be one. I think I think sending it back to game five would be two. Um, I think game one against San Diego would be three and then the survival to to to force a game four against Milwaukee would be uh four. In terms of the the excruciating losses for me was not it was not game five that that I’m just talking playoffs. Game two uh was the one for me, man. Against the Brewers. Yeah. When Andrew Vaughn hit that hit that three-run homer. I still remember just just I I was I sat down and just was like that it just felt like that was it. Yeah. Yeah. The Cubs um won every game at Wrigley this postseason but won and of course I was at that one loss. All right. Coming up next we go over some final uh numbers from this team. Stay tuned. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NFL season is here and FanDuel has an offer you don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get 300 bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Pick a bet, put down five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Folks, before Saturday night’s elimination, I had a chance to watch the Illinois Fighting Ali play this Ohio State team. Um, if you want to go ahead and bet that team every game, um, I I have not seen a defense, their def the Ohio State defense reminds me of the defense and remember the Titans. I Every time Illinois dropped back to pass, there’s four. It felt like it felt like there 25 guys playing defense for Ohio State. How Illinois scored 16 points is a miracle. And I don’t understand how Illinois is unranked now because I don’t know who’s going to beat that Ohio State team with that defense. Uh so what are you waiting for? Visit fan duel.com to download the FanDuel app today and get started. Make sure you’re subscribed to Locked on Cubs. That way how do they play defense like that at that level? Or Yeah. Or YouTube. That way you don’t miss any of the great Cubs content. Every time they drop back to pass like that guy’s triple covered. You can’t triple cover everybody. All right. So, in in front of me, I have the final stats of the nine regulars in the lineup, five starting pitchers and five relievers. And um you know, these 19 really made up the season. Yeah. By the way, little production meeting on the air. Aside from these 19, I will be dropping in players over the next two, three weeks so we can cover cover relative term every player that appeared in a a single game this year. Yeah. And a little production meeting on my end at some point we we’ll be having or I’ll be having on a solo day Justin Steel will be on. Uh um and I I could I could pretty much confirm. So that’ll be earlier sooner than later in the offseason. I thought maybe that would be around the holidays. I think more late. Yeah, I I didn’t get a we didn’t talk about a time yet, but but I I’m pretty I’m pretty sure that that he’ll be on uh uh on the show and he’ll be giving his takes about this season and maybe maybe give us a peek into how he’s doing. I believe he’s throwing next week, right? I don’t know. I think he told I think he told reporters that. Okay. Well, I that I that I don’t know. I think he’s I think he’s playing catch next week, but I I could be wrong. He posted on his social media him throwing, you know, one of those weighted balls. Yes. Yeah. No, I think he’s playing regular catch soon. All right. Uh, so how would you like to do this? I could give you a stat line. Would you like to guess the player or Well, I should know. I mean, we cover the team. I mean, I should know that. If to be honest, if I get it wrong, that’s not good. 34 homers, 90 runs batted in an OPS of 866. Bush. Bush. Who? Bush. Uh, that’s correct. The Cubs. He finished the year with 34. Yeah, 34. And that and then and if you include the postseason, which I don’t understand why, you know, certain times you could do that, it’s it’s huge. What do you get like three in the playoffs? Yeah, I believe that’s right. Might have. Yeah. No, Michael. And imagine if he wasn’t hitting the ball into a hurricane win every other day. He would hit 40 plus. Well, that’s what puts that season as the best of the year cuz he did it at Wrigley, too. Yeah. I think the best year is the second baseman. Well, he’s second on my list. 29 doubles, 29 steels, average of 297, OPS of 739, great playoff numbers. This is Nico herers and and outstanding numbers with runners in scoring position, outstanding defense, the best player in my opinion on this ball club. This player had 31 home runs, 95 runs batted in, 35 steels, ops of 768. Yeah, it was a weird year for Pete. Um, it was a weird year and and I’m not going to say much on it because I think we got about at least two to three full shows on that young man. Sounds good. 32 homers, 103 runs batted in, OPS of 804. Had some clutch moments in the postseason. Yeah, the Seiya Suzuki season, one of the weirdest ones I’ve ever seen. Um, and and what he did in the postseason to me and and Matt, I I might be over I probably am overvaluing it. Uh, ch change my thoughts on what to do with him in the off season. And he may be the right fielder next year. I mean, he was unbel I mean, he Yeah, he was really important. And by the way, he didn’t make any huge mistakes in the playoffs in right field. Yeah. which I think is is noteworthy because of what what they may be planning on doing. Yeah, can’t wait to grade these guys. 22 homers, 25 doubles, 25 steals, an OPS of 841, played in 136 ball games, Kyle Tucker, Sam. Yeah, no comment. Uh, next on the list, career year for this guy, 17 homers, 13 doubles, OPS of 761. Yeah, they’re gonna they’re going to make sure they they budget for Carson Kelly to not be that good uh next year, but I think Miguel Amaya might make up the difference. Yeah. Or or Basos is more of a regular guy. Well, that be that’d be wonderful. 23 homers, 32 doubles, OPS of 762. 23 home. Is that Hap? It was. He finished the year with a 762. Wow. Ian Hap, he got back to he got back to his uh his thing. Right. Right. Right. 24 homers, 24 doubles, ops of 17. I don’t know why I’m laughing. I think it’s cuz how you said Right. No, I mean I just That’s This is Hap. Who did you hear the whole stat line of that next guy? No. And you’re giving me like three numbers, but yeah. Go. Who? It’s got to be I mean by process elimination, it’s got to be Danby soon. Yeah, it is. Yeah. I thought Dandy Swanson had a good year. Um, I really did. Um, his at bats against Milwaukee were were really poor. Um, but but I thought he had a good year and I thought he was the MVP of the of the Padres series. And again, I mean, we’re going to talk about this all off seasonason. I think the Cubs could you could win big with all of these guys, but you gota there needs to just be a little bit more lineup diversity with what they do. Well, I there needs to be another Nicoer type in here if if you’re going to keep Hap and Suzuki. Hap, Suzuki, Swanson, uh PCA, uh Bush, you’re going to lose Tucker. All struggle with the bat to ball idea. They all strike out, right? We’re gonna have to talk about that. Go ahead. Yeah, I think it’s going to have I think it’s going to be to play my hand because I I get nervous. I think it’s going to be to play third base, too. Yeah. Well, right. Because here’s this guy’s stats. 13 homers, 21 doubles, 17 steals, OPS of 690. Matt Shaw, yeah, they they changed Shaw’s approach and it worked for a while, but at some point, as Pete Rose said, what got you to the big leagues is is really important, too. And he’s going to have to figure out a way to do that together because let’s be honest, offensively, he didn’t look like a big leaguer in the postseason. No, he was overer at one point. Uh, walked a lot. I never knew I never have known you to have a pen in your hand. Uh yes, sometimes when I’m just real hyper. And then in order of impact, I have the starting rotation here. Uh and and let me know if you disagree again. Order of impact. Horton, Boyd, Taion, Ray, and Imanaga. Um you’re really you’re really done with Shodda, aren’t you? Um well, the team is. Yeah. Well, we’re gonna find out. Does it matter what I think? Yeah, I think it’s a little bit harsh to say that Horton had more of an impact than Boyd when when Boyd was so great the whole most of the year and Horton’s second half. But that’s that’s nitpicking. I don’t have a problem with what you’re doing. Brad Keller, Caleb Fieldbar, Daniel Palencia, Drew Pomerance, and Andrew Kitridge ended up as the uh yes, the main five for the Cubs down the stretch most of the summer. Kitridge at the trade deadline and definitely in the postseason. Sam, yeah. Where’s uh Will Willie Castro? He’s not on the sheet. Okay. Yeah, that one. Um I I got to give myself a little bit of props. First of all, bad props because I was excited when they got him. And the whole he makes the Jamer Candelario trade look like he’s like Ted Williams or whatever. That was a bit in the beginning. It it really held serve, but that actually came true. Yeah. Um yeah, the bullpen I mean the bullpen was unbelievable. Um, and you ranked the guys perfectly and that was the one thing that was the one Jed thing that was huge. I mean, Kitridge, I know he gave up a couple runs in the postseason, but I thought he was I mean, he came in and closed the playoff series. And Valencia likely the only one who’s going to return from that group, but we’ll get to that more later this month. This is locked on Cubs part. They’re not going to take his $10 million option. Ricketts would be not happy with that. Yeah, your team every day. Oh, that’s going to be a theme of the offseason, right? Should we put pressure on the Brewers or is it really pressure on who’s here already? Uh like the owner. Yeah, correct. Uh for your second listen, check out Locked on MLB Game Night every game, every night, all season long. Get local analysis on a national scale. Find MLB Game Night on the Locked On MLB channel on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcast. This is the first offseason show in the books. He’s Sam Olber. I’m Matt Cozy. This is Locked On Cubs.

We reflect on the 2025 season for the Cubs. Plus: Top 10 games of the regular season and checking the final stats for all the impact players.

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