Bleacher Report's pre-spring training power rankings have Cubs in a surprising spot

A recent flurry of loud moves by the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers' signing of Kyle Tucker has overshadowed the strong offseason turned in by Jed Hoyer, Carter Hawkins and the Chicago Cubs. But that hasn't soured Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter's view of the North Siders.

In his pre-spring training MLB power rankings, he's got the Cubs as the #2 team in all of baseball - behind only the reigning back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers. Not a bad place to be with pitchers and catchers reporting in a matter of weeks.

Cubs receive high marks heading into 2026 MLB spring training

Here's what he had to say about the Cubs:

Holes can be poked in a starting rotation that is lacking a true No. 1 starter, but Cade Horton looked like that guy during the second half of last season, logging a 1.03 ERA in 61.1 innings over 12 starts, and 2024 Opening Day starter Justin Steele should be back sometime before the All-Star break. Meanwhile, the addition of Alex Bregman goes a long way in replacing Kyle Tucker, while keeping the door open for Moisés Ballesteros to make an impact.

That all checks out. The addition of Edward Cabrera - and pairing him with the Cubs' pitching infrastructure - could yield a top-of-the-rotation presence, but it's too soon to tell. And that's before taking into account the right-hander's lengthy injury history. But the depth is certainly there - and, who knows, maybe Hoyer pulls a rabbit out of his hat and snags Zac Gallen before camp.

The Bregman signing is the real needle-mover for this team. Known as an elite clubhouse presence and strong veteran leader, he should elevate the play of everyone around him. His mentorship could go a long ways with some of the team's young players like 30/30 threat Pete Crow-Armstrong, Matt Shaw and Moises Ballesteros.

Looking at the rest of the NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers check in at #12 after trading Freddy Peralta to the Mets this week, Cincinnati is at #18, Pittsburgh at #23 and St. Louis rounds out the list at #27. That lines up with what most view this division as: up for the Cubs' taking, but after recent years, nobody is sleeping on the Brewers.