Prior to the start of the 2026 MLB regular season, the Chicago Cubs made one thing clear to their fans and the rest of Major League Baseball: they expect to win the division. The Milwaukee Brewers, who knocked the Cubs out of the postseason last year, have won the National League Central Division in each of the past three years. This year, the Cubs expect to end up on top.
What is more, Chicago wants to compete for, and win, the World Series, which they have not won since 2016. As such, they went about the winter piecing together a roster that many feel is one of the best in the Majors. At least on paper.
However, that high-powered and carefully constructed roster started the year 3-3.
MLB analyst wonders if the Chicago Cubs can remain consistent
Mar 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman (3) at bat against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Obviously, six games are far from a clear picture of what will be a 162-game season. That being said, while divisions cannot be won in March or April, they can certainly be lost. If the Cubs find themselves a game or two behind the Brewers (or another NL Central team) heading into the final week of the year, many will point to this lackluster start.
Derek Antoine of Yahoo Sports fears that Chicago’s inconsistency to start the year may end up biting them:
“The Cubs have already shown the early warning signs that kill seasons—they can be productive, but not reliably punishing. They can survive cold nights at Wrigley. They can survive one shutout. What they can’t survive is a lineup that only scores when everything lines up perfectly.
“And what happens when they start facing real pitching depth every series? Because the competition hasn’t necessarily been stellar.
“So the question is simple, and I won’t be polite about it. Do the Cubs have enough lineup length to win games when they aren’t hitting nukes? Or are they about to spend April proving that the offense is all paper?”
These are all questions that many had about the Cubs roster going into the season. Undoubtedly, when they are clicking on all cylinders, they are nearly impossible to beat.
But, as Antoine asks, what is going to happen when things are not clicking? Chicago needs to figure out how to overcome these challenges if they are going to compete for the division, much less a World Series title.
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