Chicago Cubs 2026: How to Watch, TV Schedule, Top Players & More
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The Chicago Cubs finished second in the NL Central for the third straight year in 2025, but made the playoffs for the first time since 2020. They finished 92-70, their best record since 2018. They claimed the first Wild Card spot in the National League, before ultimately being eliminated by their division rival, the Milwaukee Brewers, who beat them 3-2 in the NL Division Series.
Heading into 2026, Chicago once again has playoff aspirations. They hope that the signing of Alex Bregman, the continued development of their young stars and the mid-season return of Justin Steele can give them what they need to overtake the Brewers in the NL Central and make a run at the World Series.
Check out the2026 Chicago Cubs TV schedule right here to make sure you never miss a single steal, home run or seventh inning stretch of the upcoming season.
Chicago Cubs Team Info:
Founding Season: 1876 Division: National League Central Home Ballpark: Wrigley Field World Series Titles: 3 (1907, 1908, 2016) 2025 Finish: Lost in the NLDS (3-2)
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The Cubs were one of the best teams in baseball for much of the 2025 season, finishing top 10 in nearly every offensive category, including fifth in runs, sixth in slugging percentage and sixth in total bases. Their pitching was equally impressive, finishing top 10 in ERA and walking fewer batters than any other pitching staff in Major League Baseball.
Their major addition heading into 2025 was Kyle Tucker, who delivered in a contract year and helped keep Chicago among the league leaders throughout the season.
But it was Pete Crow-Armstrong who stole the show. The 23-year-old center fielder was named to his first All-Star Game, hitting 37 doubles and 31 home runs while stealing 35 bases to go along with 95 RBIs Gold Glove center field. The one knock on Armstrong was his sub-.300 on-base percentage. If he can improve in that area, he could easily find himself back in the MVP conversation after finishing ninth in voting a year ago.
Nico Horner led Chicago in Wins Above Replacement, putting together one of his best seasons as a pro. He won his second Gold Glove at second base, set career highs in OPS+ and games played and hit .297 with a .739 OPS.
Michael Busch enjoyed a breakout campaign at first base in just his second full season in the majors, slugging 34 home runs with 90 RBIs, a .261 batting average, a .343 on-base percentage and an .866 OPS.
Matt Shaw, the 23-year-old third baseman, had a solid rookie year, finishing ninth in Rookie of the Year voting after hitting 13 home runs and stealing 17 bases in just 126 games. Seiya Suzuki finished 20th in MVP voting after hitting 32 home runs and driving in 103 runs.
On the mound, Matthew Boyd served as the ace of the Cubs staff, finishing 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA and earning an All-Star selection. Cade Horton finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting after going 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA in 22 starts.
The Cubs also earned three Gold Gloves in 2025, with Horner, Shaw and Crow-Armstrong all taking home the hardware.
All in all, it was a successful season for Chicago — and with enough exciting players on this roster, there’s every reason to believe playoff appearances could become the norm at Wrigley Field.
Chicago Cubs 2026 Schedule
Chicago opens with a couple of favorable matchups to begin the season, hosting the Washington Nationals on March 26th and then welcoming the Los Angeles Angels for the second series of the year.
The schedule gets considerably tougher in mid-April, when the Cubs face 16 straight games against teams that either made the playoffs or just missed them:
April 13–15 at Philadelphia Phillies
April 17–19 vs. New York Mets
April 20–23 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
April 24–26 at Los Angeles Dodgers
April 27–29 at San Diego Padres
Their first matchup against Milwaukee comes on May 18–20, when they host the Brewers at Wrigley Field.
Here’s a look at the first two months of the Cubs season, along with where you can watch the games live on TV. Games without national broadcasters are typically available through a team’s RSN or local streaming channel.
If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, there are plenty of ways to catch every game on the Cubs’ schedule on DIRECTV. Below are a few places where you can watch Cubs games.
Here are the top players to watch out for on the field this season.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
Crow-Armstrong was in the thick of the MVP conversation through the first half of 2025 before backsliding in the second half. The 23-year-old made his first All-Star team in just his second full season, hitting 31 home runs, stealing 35 bases and hitting 37 doubles. He paired all of that with elite defense in center field. Cubs fans are already enamored with the young star, and he looks to be a fixture in MVP conversations for years to come.
Cade Horton, SP
Horton finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting after going 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA in 22 starts. He was nearly unhittable for stretches in the second half, posting a WHIP of just 1.085. Horton could emerge as a potential ace for a rotation that has solid arms throughout but lacks a clear No. 1, especially with Justin Steele’s return still months away.
Alex Bregman, 3B
Bregman was the marquee signing for the Cubs this offseason. Bregman had a resurgent 2025, making his first All Star game since 2019 with 18 homers and an .821 OPS in 114 games last season. Bregman brings Gold Glove defense to the hot corner and adds another big bat to this Cubs lineup.
Michael Busch, 1B
Busch enjoyed a breakout season in 2025, hitting 34 home runs, driving in 90 runs and posting a .343 on-base percentage and an .866 OPS in just his second full season. He provides a power-hitting presence in the middle of the Chicago lineup with solid plate discipline.
Matt Shaw, OF
Shaw had a solid rookie season at the hot corner, hitting 21 doubles, 13 home runs and stealing 17 bases in 126 games. His challenge in 2026 will be getting on base more frequently, as he posted a sub-.300 on-base percentage in his first year. He will also shift to the outfield with the acquisition of Bregman.
Shota Imanaga, SP
Imanaga had a bit of a letdown sophomore campaign after being named an All-Star, finishing top five in Cy Young voting and going 15-3 in his 2024 rookie season. He fell to 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 2025, with the most concerning sign being a sharp drop in his strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Cubs are hoping he can rediscover his electric stuff heading into year three.
Edward Cabrera, SP
Acquired from the Marlins in the offseason, Cabrera had his best season as a pro in 2025, going 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA in 26 starts. He brings elite strikeout numbers, averaging 10 strikeouts per 9 innings for his career. But his control remains a question mark, as he also averages 4.5 walks per 9 innings. If he can rein in his walks, he has the potential to be an excellent middle-of-the-rotation arm.
Justin Steele, SP
When healthy, Steele is likely the ace of the Cubs pitching staff. He missed much of 2025 following UCL revision surgery in mid-April and is targeting a mid-season return in 2026. The Cubs will look to ease him back after he missed essentially the entire year.
Nico Horner, 2B
Horner enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2025, hitting .297 with a .739 OPS and playing Gold Glove defense at second base. He provides a veteran presence in the Chicago infield and will once again be counted on as a steady bat in the lineup.
Cubs Prospects to Watch in 2026
Moisés Ballesteros, C
The 22-year-old catcher brings elite offensive upside behind the plate, showing that promise in just 20 games in the majors last season, hitting .298 with a .385 on-base percentage and a .473 slugging percentage. He likely profiles as a DH at the big league level, but would be a powerful addition to the Cubs lineup regardless.
Jaxon Wiggins, RHP
The 24-year-old right-hander is currently in Triple-A but could very well find his way to the majors in 2026. At 6-foot-6, Wiggins has a fastball that hovers around 96-98 mph and touches triple digits at its peak, a slider in the upper 80s that can hit the low 90s and an upper-80s changeup and low-80s curveball that still have room to develop. He projects as a front-end rotation arm and if injuries strike the Cubs’ rotation at any point, he could get the call.
For the better part of the last decade, the Cubs-Brewers rivalry has defined the NL Central. Chicago won the season series 7-6 in 2025, but with a run differential of just four across 13 games, these two teams battle it out every time they face off. Once again, both clubs look like the frontrunners in the division, and their matchups will carry weight not just for the division title but for seeding throughout the National League and ultimately, the quest for the World Series.
You can watch the I-94 series play out in 2026 on:
The Cubs and Cardinals have one of the longest-standing rivalries in Major League Baseball, dating back to 1885 when the Cubs were known as the Chicago White Stockings. These two teams have played more than 2,500 times, with the Cubs holding the edge in regular season games, though the Cardinals hold the overall advantage in World Series titles. Entering 2026, the Cubs hold the edge on paper, as St. Louis is in more of a rebuilding mode. Last year, Chicago went 8-5 against the Cardinals and outscored them by 40 runs.
The north side vs. south side rivalry brings heat to the Windy City no matter how either team is faring. Last year, the Cubs beat the White Sox five games to one and outscored them by 17 runs. With the White Sox once again looking like one of the weakest teams in baseball, Cubs fans are expecting more bragging rights in 2026.
You can catch the Crosstown Classic on:
May 15–17 at Guaranteed Rate Field
August 17–19 at Wrigley Field
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