Cubs at the All-Star Break: Takeaways and What’s Next
The Chicago Cubs end the first part of their season on a high note with a series win against the Reds in Cincinnati by taking the last two games in a three-game set.
Now that the Cubbies are at the All-Star Break, there are a couple of major takeaways from the season up to this point and plenty to look forward to in terms of what the season still has in store.
Pete Crow-Armstrong
The first name that comes to mind when people talk about the Cubs in 2026 is Pete Crow-Armstrong. He has had a remarkable season, and countless statistical measures support that. Pete is clearly the standout hitter for the Cubs right now as he currently leads the team in home runs, hits, and OPS. Shifting to a league-wide look into Crow-Armstrong’s 2026 campaign, entering the day, he is in the top twenty in home runs, the top ten for hits, and the top ten in OPS.
This shows that while Pete leads the Cubs in various offensive categories, he is also on pace with the league’s best hitters.
On top of that, Crow-Armstrong is right there at the top of the WAR leaderboard with Shohei Ohtani; ever heard of him? That’s pretty good for the twenty-four-year-old center fielder.
Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, and Javier Assad
While PCA has had an unbelievable season thus far, the other main takeaway is the number of pitching injuries the Cubs have endured. What appeared to be a position with depth entering the season has been tested to its limits-and then some. It has felt as if every Cubs pitcher that Cubs fans had high hopes for entering the season has spent time on the injured list. While that may be close to the truth, the Cubs have done a solid job treading water. Some of this is because the offense has been really good at times this year, but that also doesn’t take away from the job that some of the Cubs pitchers have done this year.
As far as starting pitching goes, the names that come to mind are Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, and Javier Assad.
Imanaga and Rea have done a great job eating innings for this staff; between the two of them, they have thrown 202.2 innings. While the earned run averages for these two may not jump off the page, they have both done solid work for this club. For Assad, he has stepped up with the injuries the Cubs have had to deal with. Heading into the season, you most likely wouldn’t think that Assad would have thrown around sixty innings heading into the All-Star Break, but that is how this season has turned out. He has done a great job with the opportunities he’s gotten, and Counsell has been able to lean on him every fifth day.
Looking forward to the next part of the 2026 season for the Chicago Cubs, many things stand out.
Cubs fans are eager to see what moves the front office may make at the trade deadline, especially given how they have been playing of late and the injuries they have suffered.
Along with the trade deadline, there are just sixty-six regular-season games left on the Cubs’ schedule.
Currently, they are five games back in the division and in possession of a Wild Card spot, but it will be fascinating to watch how the NL Central Division shakes out in the end. Especially considering that the Brewers and Cubs have seven games against each other in the second half of the season.
Through the ups and downs of the first ninety-six games the Cubs have played, they have positioned themselves wonderfully heading into the break.
The next portion of the season should be a really fun watch; the Cubbies are in striking distance in the division, and with a healthier pitching group, this should be a fun finish to the regular season.
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