Chicago Cubs 2026

#2,028      
AssemblyHallForever
Illiniaaron said:
I don't understand how you could possibly quibble with what PCA is doing offensively.
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Which player would be better, a guy batting 300 with 40 doubles, 12 triples, 200 hits, 20 homers and over 120 runs or a guy hitting 40 plus homers, and batting 280, hitting 8 triples and 31 doubles. I would take the first guy especially if he the leadoff hitter. PCA, great season but he is not utilizing his ability to the fullest. BTW, getting more hits gives him the opportunity to steal more bases. He and Nico need to be table setters for the middle of the lineup. Plus our bottom of the order is terrible. My point is that PCA could be a Tony Gwynn or Rod Carew type hitter but with speed and power.
 
#2,029      
AssemblyHallForever
Second place is 1st loser said:
Or when the wind is blowing in at Wrigley and you've scored 6 runs in 27 innings, while watching the wild card lead shrink to a "too close to call lead", watch the Padres pass you, the Phillies catch you and have Milwaukee small ball you to death over the last half decade. Their inability to score in extra innings is when it looks particularly awful. Guys start at 2nd and through a myriad of strikeouts, not getting bunts down, pop ups, not hitting to the right side to get a guy to third followed by a fly ball.....they lose in spectacular fashion.

Milwaukee, with 1/2 the payroll, has great pitching, they get on base, they run you to death, they move people over...they have a ton of ways to best you. They do the little things right, most notably , selfless ABs. Unless the Cubs slug.....it's very hard on them.

When the wind is howling in, it's cold and they're facing good pitching.....this is what you get.
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Exactly. This has been my point all year. Wrigley is a bear to score runs when the wind is blowing in and
unlike Milwaukee, we cannot move runners when we need to move runners. Today, how many times did we roll over on a pitch and hit weak grounders to third or short with runners on? Several. Nico, Swanson, Kelly are all guilty as they cannot figure out how to hit to the opposite field.
 
#2,030      
Illiniaaron
AssemblyHallForever said:
Which player would be better, a guy batting 300 with 40 doubles, 12 triples, 200 hits, 20 homers and over 120 runs or a guy hitting 40 plus homers, and batting 280, hitting 8 triples and 31 doubles. I would take the first guy especially if he the leadoff hitter. PCA, great season but he is not utilizing his ability to the fullest. BTW, getting more hits gives him the opportunity to steal more bases. He and Nico need to be table setters for the middle of the lineup. Plus our bottom of the order is terrible. My point is that PCA could be a Tony Gwynn or Rod Carew type hitter but with speed and power.
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Is there anyone in the league other than Alvarez with the numbers of the first hypothetical player you mention? How many guys with over 500 ABs are even hitting .300? The answer is four. The league average is like .244. Yes, I will take the guy hitting only twenty points lower than the hypothetical player you mention with 25 more homers, the same 120 runs scored, 110 runs batted in, and 40 steals. But in this case he’s not in my imagination, he’s real.
 
#2,032      
EyeoftheIllini
IanKEvans2 said:
Sure, PCA would thrive playing small ball. What I can't fathom is why anyone would want him to? He's quite literally the best baseball player on the planet right now as is. Adding onto that, offense isn't the issue for this team. This dialogue is a clear recency bias of the last two games going the way they did.

Not to mention how for every team that is not the Brewers, small ball isn't the winning recipe in the modern era. I'll worry about small ball for PCA or any other player when a Cub can lay a bunt down and not pop it up to the pitcher like Shaw demonstrated 2 nights ago.

Until then, keep on keeping on, and see what happens.
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To answer your first question, because a lot of fans think they are smarter than the managers and players out there, think it is easy to adjust your swing/approach at the MLB level to every situation, and that a10+ WAR isn’t good enough.
 
#2,033      
Illiniaaron
One good thing I guess going into this weekend mess in Boston is that the Red Sox have nothing to play for really. They’ve been locked into a wildcard series with the Yankees in New York for some time. You would think the only thing they’re interested in is getting their pitching lined up for the playoffs.
 
#2,035      
DRS
EyeoftheIllini said:
To answer your first question, because a lot of fans think they are smarter than the managers and players out there, think it is easy to adjust your swing/approach at the MLB level to every situation, and that a10+ WAR isn’t good enough.
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any questioning of PCA this year is bizzaro world but that is where a good chunk of Cubs fan live nowadays. PCAs year is so far ahead of everybody else in baseball it is simple preposterous. Literally only Babe Ruth and Mantle have had years where they had a bigger gap in WAR between 1st and second. This is one of the great years in the history of the game.
 
#2,036      
Jimbo
I don’t see a scenario where we aren’t playing at San Diego in round 1, and SD as we all know is scorching hot. Not ideal, but sometimes “not ideal” is when a team comes together. Ever the optimist…..
 
#2,037      
DRS
AssemblyHallForever said:
Which player would be better, a guy batting 300 with 40 doubles, 12 triples, 200 hits, 20 homers and over 120 runs or a guy hitting 40 plus homers, and batting 280, hitting 8 triples and 31 doubles. I would take the first guy especially if he the leadoff hitter. PCA, great season but he is not utilizing his ability to the fullest. BTW, getting more hits gives him the opportunity to steal more bases. He and Nico need to be table setters for the middle of the lineup. Plus our bottom of the order is terrible. My point is that PCA could be a Tony Gwynn or Rod Carew type hitter but with speed and power.
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Sorry to say this, but this is nonsense. 1st off, when was the last time a player did what guy number 1 did? here I'l answer that is 1927. That is when people did that. and it had only been done once in the history of baseball. Not utilizing his ability to the fullest??? good lord people. Suggesting ways PCA could be more valuable to this team is beyond belief.(that dudes name was Gehrig by the way)
 
#2,038      
Illini2010-11
DRS said:
Sorry to say this, but this is nonsense. 1st off, when was the last time a player did what guy number 1 did? here I'l answer that is 1927. That is when people did that. and it had only been done once in the history of baseball. Not utilizing his ability to the fullest??? good lord people. Suggesting ways PCA could be more valuable to this team is beyond belief.(that dudes name was Gehrig by the way)
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As a Sox fan, I wish he did not hit all those homers :)

Seriously, PCA had an historic season. Every player has small things to improve on, and I suspect that PCA will continue to grow at the plate (and that is very scary prospect for pitchers across the league)...the guy is probably not even in his prime yet. However, some of the nitpicking is crazy...the guy is about to become the league MVP!
 
#2,039      
Grandpa
Illini2010-11 said:
As a Sox fan, I wish he did not hit all those homers :)

Seriously, PCA had an historic season. Every player has small things to improve on, and I suspect that PCA will continue to grow at the plate (and that is very scary prospect for pitchers across the league)...the guy is probably not even in his prime yet. However, some of the nitpicking is crazy...the guy is about to become the league MVP!
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yeah, but he could be even MVPer if he just cut down his swing or something?

The only way this makes sense is if the discussion is about Nico. PCA's sesason being criticized is just nit picking
 
#2,040      
Illiniaaron
DRS said:
Sorry to say this, but this is nonsense. 1st off, when was the last time a player did what guy number 1 did? here I'l answer that is 1927. That is when people did that. and it had only been done once in the history of baseball. Not utilizing his ability to the fullest??? good lord people. Suggesting ways PCA could be more valuable to this team is beyond belief.(that dudes name was Gehrig by the way)
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It’s even worse if you do the math. The difference between .280 and .300 over 600 at bats is going from 168 to 180 hits. So in the hypothetical presented, you would sacrifice 25 homers for 12 more base hits. Makes no sense.
 
#2,041      
Illiniaaron
I admit that going into the 2025 season, I thought PCA should concentrate more on bunting for hits and just hitting line drives and such. Felt the same during his second half slump. But after the season he has had, the moon is the limit for this guy and I wouldn’t offer him my silly advice.
 
#2,042      
Illiniaaron
Jimbo said:
I don’t see a scenario where we aren’t playing at San Diego in round 1, and SD as we all know is scorching hot. Not ideal, but sometimes “not ideal” is when a team comes together. Ever the optimist…..
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Phillies finish at home against Tampa, not sure what the Rays have to play for. Will that be an easy series for Philly? How invested are the D-Backs in their series with the Padres, especially if they are eliminated Friday? Will the Red Sox perform against the Cubs with nothing to play for? It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
 
#2,043      
ChiefGritty
Absurd that MLB hasn't arranged a neutral site for the Cubs-Red Sox series this weekend. No chance that third game gets played in Boston, and if they try to make a break for it after the doubleheader today (assuming even that much gets played), there is a non-zero chance airplanes can't get out.

It would have been trivially easy to just play it in Cincinnati or whatever.
 
#2,044      
AssemblyHallForever
Grandpa said:
yeah, but he could be even MVPer if he just cut down his swing or something?

The only way this makes sense is if the discussion is about Nico. PCA's sesason being criticized is just nit picking
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I am not nitpicking. I would rather see PCA drive the ball more all over the field. I would love to see him use the entire field as he could be more dangerous. Don’t get me wrong, he is having a great season but he would have more steaks and hits if he uses the entire field. Tony Gwynn with power.
 
#2,045      
Illini2010-11
Illiniaaron said:
Phillies finish at home against Tampa, not sure what the Rays have to play for. Will that be an easy series for Philly? How invested are the D-Backs in their series with the Padres, especially if they are eliminated Friday? Will the Red Sox perform against the Cubs with nothing to play for? It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
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Silly question possibly here, but would you take the Cubs finishing in the second wild card spot as the guaranteed finish after action on Saturday (assuming tomorrow's game gets washed out)? The scenario would be Cubs going to Padres in Wild Card Series but avoiding playing on Monday (so only play 161 games). Or have the opportunity to win on Monday to secure the first wild card and a home series against Padres? I would think that is a tough call, especially given how big a difference the home/away splits are for San Diego.
 
#2,046      
Illini2010-11
ChiefGritty said:
Absurd that MLB hasn't arranged a neutral site for the Cubs-Red Sox series this weekend. No chance that third game gets played in Boston, and if they try to make a break for it after the doubleheader today (assuming even that much gets played), there is a non-zero chance airplanes can't get out.

It would have been trivially easy to just play it in Cincinnati or whatever.
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While I agree that they could have arranged a neutral site, they do not want to mess with competitive balance too much (give a team in a competitive race three neutral site games compared to road games is not optimal). If the entire weekend (all three games would have been unplayable), I think your suggestion would have been considered more. I personally think the league is hoping that the 162nd game won't be necessary to standings, so they took this suboptimal approach. Also, there is no way that Boston would want to give up revenues for three baseball games. A very complicated situation indeed.
 
#2,047      
mattcoldagelli
Illini2010-11 said:
While I agree that they could have arranged a neutral site, they do not want to mess with competitive balance too much (give a team in a competitive race three neutral site games compared to road games is not optimal). If the entire weekend (all three games would have been unplayable), I think your suggestion would have been considered more. I personally think the league is hoping that the 162nd game won't be necessary to standings, so they took this suboptimal approach. Also, there is no way that Boston would want to give up revenues for three baseball games. A very complicated situation indeed.
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Was reported that Boston was actually willing to play in Chicago (with compensation for the home games) but that Philly and SD nixed it.
 
#2,048      
ChiefGritty
mattcoldagelli said:
Was reported that Boston was actually willing to play in Chicago (with compensation for the home games) but that Philly and SD nixed it.
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San Diego has a lot of nerve taking issue with other's weather problems!

I can understand not wanting the Cubs to have extra home games (not that I necessarily agree that gripe should win the day), and it would have been easy enough to resolve with a neutral site.

Illini2010-11 said:
give a team in a competitive race three neutral site games compared to road games is not optimal
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It's not optimal, but the storm took optimal away, c'est la vie. There is no baseball to be played in Boston this weekend and no makeup days left.

Illini2010-11 said:
I personally think the league is hoping that the 162nd game won't be necessary to standings, so they took this suboptimal approach.
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Right, and they were also hoping for good news on the timing of the storm. Hope is not a strategy!
 
#2,049      
EllderIlliniFan
Illini2010-11 said:
Silly question possibly here, but would you take the Cubs finishing in the second wild card spot as the guaranteed finish after action on Saturday (assuming tomorrow's game gets washed out)? The scenario would be Cubs going to Padres in Wild Card Series but avoiding playing on Monday (so only play 161 games). Or have the opportunity to win on Monday to secure the first wild card and a home series against Padres? I would think that is a tough call, especially given how big a difference the home/away splits are for San Diego.
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The obvious solution is for the Phillies and Padres to lose out. :)
 
#2,050      
Illini2010-11
mattcoldagelli said:
Was reported that Boston was actually willing to play in Chicago (with compensation for the home games) but that Philly and SD nixed it.
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Oh, I did not hear that. Makes sense that Philly and SD would nix it.

I personally can't remember a situation where the last weekend series of the season really mattered to postseason standings and there was a guarantee for bad weather for the last two days (maybe even longer). Or my memory is very poor...could be both.

The doubleheader today is taxing more to the Cubs than the Red Sox, as the Red Sox can rest players more than the Cubs can. Really a bad situation all around.
 
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