Cubs fans have serious questions about The Athletic's wonky ace rankings

As good as Matthew Boyd was at points last season, a big Chicago Cubs' offseason need was the addition of a true ace to lead the staff. While you might not classify Edward Cabrera as exactly that, Jed Hoyer going out and grabbing the former Miami Marlin certainly raised the rotation's floor.

What exactly an ace is is a tough question to answer. For most folks, they know one when they see one (think Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes), but the further down the rankings you go, the tougher it becomes to classify where guys fall.

The Athletic (subscription required) tried to answer this question by coming out with a tiered ranking of the best starters in the game. For Cubs fans, the rankings bring both good and bad news, with some serious questions being raised.

The good is that three Chicago starters made the cut, placing within the top-50 in the league. The bad is where exactly they fell. The confusing part, which borders on disrespect, is the insinuation that the tier where Boyd and Cabrera fall portends.

Matthew Boyd and Edward Cabrera could be the difference makers in the Cubs' 2026 rotation

While the piece is called "The Aces Project," Boyd and Cabrera ranking in the bottom tier, called "No.4s and No. 5s," suggests they're anything but. Boyd tied with Tanner Bibee of the Cleveland Guardians for the last spot on the list, despite Bibee posting an ERA that was over a run higher and a 3.65 to 4.34 difference in FIP in Boyd's favor.

Cabrera came in just one spot ahead of Boyd at No. 48. His former teammate, Eury Perez, came in nearly 20 spots higher on the list at No. 29 despite posting a worse ERA and throwing 42 1/3 fewer innings last season.

That's just the start of some of the wonkiness on the list. Understandably, durability and lack of track record hold back this Cubs duo. That said, while the tier they fall in implies that they are back-end starters, being ranked among the top 50 starting pitchers in MLB suggests they're anything but.

The Cubs have built their rotation the depth is what sets them apart. In addition to Cabrera and Boyd, the group includes Cade Horton, who also placed on this list and outranked his more experienced teammates, coming in at No. 40. Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon are better than most fourth and fifth starters, Colin Rea is quality depth, and top prospect Jaxson Wiggins is waiting in the wings.

Boyd and Cabrera are the true X-factors. Both have shown that they can perform at elite levels; the question is truly health and durability. Beyond just staying healthy, this also comes down to maintaining their effectiveness over the grind of a 162-game season.

Craig Counsell's adept ability to manage his rotation and squeeze in extra off days for his horses here and there could help greatly. Preserving the pair and maintaining their effectiveness might have us looking back at this list and laughing.

At the end of the day, Cubs fans shouldn't put much stock in some of the strange decisions in these rankings. From the pecking order to the classifications of the different groups, a lot of it doesn't make much sense. What is important is that represented here are two quality veterans and a promising youngster, proving that even if Chicago doesn't have a true no-doubt stud at the top, they have more than enough quality arms with the upside for more to make serious noise throughout 2026.