3 Cubs standouts and 3 disappointments from an up-and-down first half

The Chicago Cubs had two modes, if you will, in the first half. Very, very good and very, very bad.

From mid-April to early May, the Cubs ran off an impressive 20-3 record that included not one, but two, 10-game winning streaks. From there, things went off the rails, as Chicago joined an unsavory club, adding a 10-game losing streak to their resume before flipping the switch once again, entering the All-Star break winners of 20 of their last 28 games.

So for all our sakes, let's hope there's a less volatile stretch of baseball ahead. Before we turn the page to the second half, let's dig in on three standout performers to this point, as well as a trio that's left much to be desired.

3 Cubs who helped the team weather the storm in the first half

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Turn the clock back a decade. Remember 'you go, we go' with Dexter Fowler? Well, as Pete Crow-Armstrong goes, so go the 2026 Cubs. Thankfully, after a slow start, the All-Star center fielder is turning in a season for the ages, leading the charge to another October appearance.

PCA leads all of baseball (Shohei Ohtani included) in bWAR at 5.8. Yes, a lot of that comes via his baserunning and defense, but he's made notable - and seemingly, sustainable - improvements at the plate, culminating in a .291/.386/.531 slash line (155 OPS+). A strong showing against lefties and a huge jump in his walk rate have the superstar firmly in the NL MVP conversation at the season's midway point.

Ben Brown

After years of tantalizing allure falling short of on-field performance, Ben Brown put it all together after stepping into one of the many rotation voids created by the first half's never-ending string of pitching injuries. Then, the neck injury that ended his 2024 season in June re-surfaced, leaving his second-half status very much up in the air.

But calling Brown's performance in the first half anything but impressive would be foolish. The big right-hander established himself as a true top-of-the-rotation presence, leveraging a revamped arsenal, working to a 1.85 ERA in 68 innings of work, including a 1.70 mark as a starter. Craig Counsell thinks he'll pitch again this year, which would be a huge boost for the Cubs.

Jacob Webb

As has been the case so many times in recent years, the Cubs' bullpen is chock-full of castoffs and reclamation projects and, for the most part, there's been more good than bad there. Right-hander Jacob Webb, in particular, stands out given his late-inning work for manager Craig Counsell.

Webb leads all Cubs pitchers with 42 appearances on the year and has been very effective, pitching to a 3.05 ERA with more than 10 punchouts per nine in the process. In the offseason, most of the attention went to Hoby Milner, Hunter Harvey and Phil Maton but, at least in the first half, it's been Webb who's established himself as an unsung hero of the Cubs' pitching staff.

3 Cubs who simply have to be better down the stretch

Edward Cabrera

The hope was that, when paired with the Cubs' pitching infrastructure, Edward Cabrera would take the next step in his development and become a leader in the rotation. To put it mildly, though, that hasn't been the case.

The big right-hander, ongoing IL stint aside, hasn't been anywhere close to a front-of-the-rotation presence so far in his brief Cubs career. Through 14 starts, he's been a -0.8 bWAR player, backed by a 5.10 ERA/5.06 FIP. He's shown some flashes, but they've usually been followed by a blow-up. It's very much been a one step forward, two steps back kind of season for Cabrera and, given the Cubs traded Owen Caissie, a top-100 prospect, for him, it's safe to say he hasn't lived up to expectations.

Alex Bregman

Come on, there's no way I could write this list and not have Alex Bregman in the 'disappointments' column. The veteran infielder seems to have started to click at the plate in the days leading up to the All-Star break and, if he can carry that through to the second half, would be a game-changer for the Cubs' offense.

He hasn't been a game-changer thus far, with a major lack of slug and a batting average that, would the season end today, be his worst since the shortened 2020 season. For this team to not only reach October, but be a legitimate threat, yes, they need a healthy pitching staff - but they need their prized free agent signing from last offseason to show up.

Phil Maton

I could have gone with Hunter Harvey here, but honestly, I didn't have any faith he was going to stay healthy even when the Cubs initially gave him a one-year, $6 million deal. So, disappointing? Sure. Unexpected? Not really.

Phil Maton, however, was supposed to be a key high-leverage arm in this Cubs' bullpen mix and he's been anything but that. Even worse, Jed Hoyer broke his mold and signed the right-hander to a two-year deal, so getting him sorted out is critical not just for the second half, but looking ahead to 2027, as well.

So far, the Cubs have gotten a pair of IL stints and a 6.08 ERA in 30 appearances - to go along with career-worst walk and home run rates. Things can only go up from here... right?

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