“I wish I could be sadder about this.”
That’s a text I received from a friend seconds after catcher Carson Kelly’s groundout to short ended the Cubs’ season.
After a quick scroll through the “For You” tab on X, it was clear that sentiment was shared by many Cubs fans in the immediate aftermath of an up-and-down season that lasted 164 games.
Too many times during the season there were slumps that felt like a funeral march. Too often did thoughts trail to where the Cubs might be in the National League standings without an MVP season from center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
There was plenty of outrage and blame littered throughout the timeline to counter the apathy. Some was directed at ownership, some at the executive level and some into the dugout, split between the coaching staff and players.
One thing is for certain: it wasn’t enough to win in October.
A two-game sweep in the NL Wild Card in which the Cubs were outscored 12-1 by the San Diego Padres looked like a microcosm of the worst stretches endured throughout the 2026 regular season.
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1 Comment
JOHN HOERBER
Back to back Playoff appearances. The pitchers acquired at the trade deadline to give this team some Playoff Gravitas could not deliver. The Cubs finished where they should based upon the Players and Pitchers they placed on the Field.
I expect if there is a 2027 season, Jed Hoyer will jettison several of this year’s players and bring in younger prospects.