Chicago — For the first time in nearly two months, the Chicago Cubs are back to .500.
A season that once appeared destined to become one of the best starts of the post-2016 era has spiraled into one of baseball’s most dramatic collapses. Following a 27-12 start, the Cubs have gone 7-22 since May 8.
Chicago’s latest setback came in a series loss to the Colorado Rockies, dropping the Cubs to .500 (34-34) for the first time since April 16 (9-9). The Cubs have not won a series since May 8.
Even with two separate 10-game winning streaks earlier this season, Chicago finds itself searching for answers after a 10-game losing streak and a prolonged offensive drought that has erased months of early success.
The same club that opened the season with a perfect 15-0 record at Wrigley Field is now hearing boos from its home crowd regularly.
Offensive Collapse
The story of Chicago’s downfall cannot be solely attributed to the myriad of pitching injuries, although they haven’t helped, but rather the inability to hit in key situations.
For the season, the Cubs are hitting .222 with runners in scoring position, the second-worst mark in baseball, ahead of only Cincinnati. Chicago’s .670 OPS in those situations ranks 28th in MLB despite having the third-most plate appearances (764) with runners in scoring position.
Pete Crow Armstrong (.323), Michael Busch (.309), and Miguel Amaya (.308) are the only Cubs hitters batting above .300 with runners in scoring position.
Several key contributors have struggled mightily in those moments, including Nico Hoerner (.236), Moisés Ballesteros (.235), Ian Happ (.203), Alex Bregman (.171), Dansby Swanson (.153), Michael Conforto (.136), and Seiya Suzuki (.133).
The struggles were on full display against San Francisco and Colorado. Chicago scored just seven runs across 29 innings against the Giants before managing only five runs in the first two games against the Rockies.
As a team, the Cubs hit .217 with a .660 OPS in May after posting a .268 batting average and .818 OPS during a scorching April.
Game 1: Rockies 7, Cubs 3
The Cubs found themselves in an early hole Monday night when Colorado scored five unanswered runs in the first two innings against Colin Rea.
Rea struggled with his command from the outset, and the deficit proved too much for an offense that has struggled to produce consistently for more than a month.
Alex Bregman drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Michael Busch added a solo home run, but Chicago managed only three runs against a Rockies pitching staff that entered the series with the worst ERA (5.60) in baseball.
Ryan Rolison, Ethan Roberts and Hoby Milner combined for scoreless relief appearances, but the damage had already been done.
Game 2: Rockies 3, Cubs 2
With Coors Field looming and the Cubs having allowed a Major League-leading 98 home runs, concerns centered around whether Shota Imanaga could keep the ball in the yard.
Shota Imanaga responded with one of his most encouraging performances in weeks.
The southpaw tossed five scoreless innings after entering the start having surrendered 26 earned runs and 12 home runs across his previous four outings.
Despite the strong outing, Chicago’s offense again failed to provide enough support.
The Cubs carried a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning behind an RBI groundout from Ballesteros and scoreless work from Phil Maton and Caleb Thielbar.
Colorado finally broke through when Jacob Webb uncharacteristically surrendered a two-run home run to TJ Rumfield in the eighth inning.
Ian Happ briefly rescued Chicago with a game-tying home run in the ninth, but the comeback was short-lived.
Daniel Palencia allowed the winning run in the bottom half of the inning on a Sterlin Thompson single, sealing another painful series loss and dropping the Cubs back to .500, eight games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.
Bright Spots Amid the Slide
One of the few recent positives has been the resurgence of Pete Crow-Armstrong.
In April, PCA slashed .237/.302/.415 with three home runs and 11 RBI. In a lackluster May, Crow-Armstrong posted a slash line of .233/.344/.417 with four home runs and 13 RBI. So far in June, the Cubs’ center fielder is red hot, slashing .364/.417/.788 with a 1.205 OPS.
Last week, Pete Crow-Armstrong was named National League Player of the Week after batting .440 with four home runs and six RBI. After a rough end to May that included defensive miscues and a profane outburst caught on camera, the young center fielder proved his resilience and perseverance with the offense turnaround.
Michael Busch has continued to provide production in the middle of the lineup. After hitting .188 with two home runs and ten RBI in April, Busch bounced back in May, leading the team with a .300 batting average, four long balls and 24 RBI. Over eight games in June, Busch has continued his hot streak, batting .276 with one home run and two RBI.
After a red-hot April hitting .382 with five home runs and 14 RBI, Moisés Ballesteros came down to earth in May, slashing only .102/.206/.153 over 21 games. So far in June, Ballesteros has shown glimpses of April, hitting .308 with four hits in six games. Moisés Ballesteros is a key lefty bat to watch in a Cubs lineup that desperately needs consistency.
Another encouraging development has been the emergence of Ben Brown in the Cubs rotation. Amid the club’s recent struggles, Brown has quietly established himself as one of Chicago’s most reliable pitchers, posting a 1.74 ERA with 58 strikeouts and a 0.88 WHIP. The right-hander has provided much-needed stability for a pitching staff dealing with injuries and inconsistency. Brown’s continued development has given the Cubs another potential cornerstone pitcher, while much of the attention has centered on the offense’s inability to score, Brown’s performance has been one of the few consistently positive storylines during the club’s slide back to .500
Under Achievers
Few players have garnered more attention during the Cubs’ slide than Alex Bregman. Signed to a five-year $175 million contract this offseason, Bregman was expected to provide middle-of-the-order production and veteran leadership for a club with postseason aspirations. While his defensive contributions and clubhouse presence remain valuable, the offensive production has not matched expectations.
Bregman has appeared in 67 out of Chicago’s 68 games but is slashing .246 with 5 home runs and 20 RBI. His struggles have been especially pronounced in high-leverage situations where he is batting .171 with runners in scoring position. After showing signs of life in May, hitting .261 with two home runs and seven RBI over 28 games, Bregman has fallen back into a slump in June, going 4 for 29 (.138) with no home runs and 2 RBI entering Thursday’s action.
The Cubs expected veteran reliever Phil Maton to stabilize the back end of their bullpen after signing him to a two-year $14.5 million deal in the offseason. Instead Maton has endured one of the most difficult stretches of his career.
Through 21 innings, the right-hander owns a 6.86 ERA, with a 1.76 WHIP in 21.0 IP. Opponents are hitting .310 with 26 hits, three home runs, and 11 walks. Maton struggled mightily out of the gate, posting a 20.25 ERA in April allowing seven hits and six runs in 2.2 innings of work. While he showed improvement in May with a 4.61 ERA and has looked sharper in limited June appearances, his overall results have fallen short of what the Cubs envisioned when they added him to a bullpen expected to be a strength.
Edward Cabrera’s season has been similarly inconsistent. Acquired for Owen Caissie and infield prospects Cristian Hernandez and Edgardo De Leon to bolster the middle of Chicago’s rotation; the Cubs’ right-hander has flashed the electric stuff that made him one of baseball’s most intriguing young arms, but command issues and uneven performances have prevented him from becoming the dependable starter the Cubs need. So far through 11 games started, Cabrera has a 4.99 ERA over 57.2 IP, allowing 61 hits, 11 home runs, and 22 walks. With Jameson Taillon on the injured list and the rotation under increased pressure, Chicago will need more consistency from Cabrera if they hope to climb back into the National League Central race.
Bigger Questions Ahead
The timing of the collapse is particularly concerning given the schedule and roster circumstances facing Chicago.
Jameson Taillon was recently placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain and is expected to miss time through at least the All-Star break.
The Cubs now face difficult questions about an offense that has struggled against both winning and losing clubs. Chicago is just 11-10 against teams below .500, with six of those victories coming via walk-offs, and 23-24 against teams above .500. After a 17-9 April, the Cubs slid to 13-16 in May and are 2-6 in June so far.
The upcoming schedule offers an opportunity to reverse course. The Cubs still have one game remaining against Colorado and three against San Francisco before returning home to face Colorado for another three-game set. The Cubs have to capitalize against the 26-42 Rockies and 28-41 Giants.
Before the August 3 MLB trade deadline, Chicago will face the aforementioned teams as well as the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals (twice), Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the New York Yankees. After the Giants and Rockies series, only five of the 12 series are against teams currently below .500.
The 34-34 mark is a stark contrast from where some of the organization’s strongest post-2016 World Series clubs stood at this point in the season. On June 11th, the 2018 Cubs were 38-25, the 2021 club was 36-27 and last year’s team sat at 41-27. While Chicago’s current record is better than the rebuilding season of 2022 (23-35), 2023 (28-37) and 2024 (32-35), they are tied with the 2017 Cubs (31-31 through June 11), underscoring how quickly expectations have sifted. Just one month ago, the Cubs appeared to be legitimate contenders for the National League Central Crown.
Today, they find themselves at a new 2026 low, sitting eight games behind Milwaukee and fighting simply to regain their footing.
With 53 days until the MLB trade deadline, Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office must determine whether this stretch represents a temporary slump or a more significant flaw in a roster that appeared poised to contend just one month ago.
The Cubs have spent much of the season searching for consistency. Now, after falling back to .500 for the first time since mid-April, they are searching for answers.
