There's a huge question the Cubs must answer if they're going to win the NL Central

We're almost there. With just days left until the Chicago Cubs host the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field to open the 2026 regular season, the excitement of a new season is in the air.

Of course, it helps that it was in the 70s and sunny on Saturday throughout Chicagoland - but regardless of the weather, it's hard to not feel optimistic about the Cubs' chances at finally ending the Brewers' stranglehold on the National League Central given the offseason Jed Hoyer just turned in.

The Alex Bregman signing. A blockbuster for Edward Cabrera. A complete overhaul of the bullpen. That, all paired with a largely intact group that won 92 games a year ago and fell just one win shy of the NLCS. Like I said. Easy to feel good right now.

So what's stopping the Cubs from doing it? From winning a division title for the first time in a full-length season since 2017? Well, if there's one question this club needs to answer, it's the quality of the starting rotation.

This is a perfectly fair question to ask - even if you love the Cubs

In a new write-up looking over every team's Opening Day starter, Fansided's Zachary Rotman singled out the Cubs' rotation as one of the 5 biggest questions facing a team based on their season-opening starter. For Chicago, that's Matthew Boyd, who is coming off an All-Star 2025 campaign, but struggled down the stretch as he pushed his workload to levels he hadn't so much as sniffed in years.

"Again, this rotation can be good. Perhaps Horton establishes himself as an ace. Perhaps Cabrera and Boyd repeat their breakouts. Perhaps Imanaga reverts to All-Star form. For now, though, there are lots of questions that need to be answered."

It's a fair point. Every member of the Cubs' starting rotation has baggage of some sort. As noted, Boyd struggled down the stretch last year. Cade Horton, while brilliant, has eclipsed 100 innings in either a collegiate or pro season one time - 2025. Shota Imanaga struggled to keep the ball in the yard so much that Craig Counsell opted for a bullpen game in a must-win NLDS contest last fall rather than trust the left-hander.

Cabrera, the team's big trade pick-up this winter, has battled a laundry list of injuries over the years. Jameson Taillon has been brutal this spring, but was slightly better in his final Cactus League tune-up.

All this to say: it's a fair question to ask. The hope is at least a few of these guys break the way the Cubs are hoping and the depth they've assembled behind them can step up as needed. If that happens, this team should be October-bound.