The Chicago Cubs will enter the 2026 season with a solid starting rotation. Pitchers like Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Cade Horton, and Matthew Boyd will lead this group throughout the year. Those four pitchers have been talked about all offseason by fans.
Imanaga returns on a one-year qualifying offer after a poor 2025 season. Steele is making his way back from an internal brace procedure. Horton is looking to pick up where he left off in the second half, and Boyd will be representing the Cubs for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
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However, one pitcher who hasn’t been talked about a bunch this offseason is Jameson Taillon. As a matter of fact, Taillon might very well be the Cubs’ most underrated pitcher heading into the 2026 campaign.
After struggling in his first season with Chicago in 2023, Taillon has now put together back-to-back strong campaigns. He finished with a 3.27 ERA in 2024 and a 3.68 ERA this past season.
For a pitcher who could enter the season as the Cubs’ No. 4 or No. 5 pitcher, those are tremendous numbers. He has really been a consistent rock in Chicago’s rotation over the past two years, and the team has been able to rely on him in big games.
With the Cubs headed to a win-or-go-home Game 3 in the National League Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres, Taillon stepped up in the pitching department. He threw four shutout innings with two hits and four strikeouts.
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Then, Taillon gave the Cubs another solid outing in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. He allowed two runs across four innings, which helped the North Siders win their first game of the series.
While Taillon’s numbers won’t blow anyone away, he consistently gets the job done on the mound. In 2025, the veteran allowed two runs or fewer in 17 of his 23 starts. That’s exactly the type of pitcher the Cubs need at the backend of their rotation.
He doesn’t allow much hard contact, and his six-pitch mix has been able to keep hitters off balance. Taillon’s new kick change has been a helping hand in that, as opposing hitters batted just .161 against that pitch in 2025.
Given his recent production on the mound, the Cubs should think about extending Taillon before Opening Day. The 34-year-old is entering the final season of his four-year deal, but the right-hander has shown enough to earn an additional one to two years in the Windy City.
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Following back-to-back strong seasons, Taillon will remain a key part of Chicago’s rotation in 2026. He will likely finish with similar numbers as last year and will continue to get outs at a high level.