While Chicago has rebounded from its early-season slump, some of the biggest Cubs’ weaknesses have been revealed. The team had gotten off to a hot start in the year and was one of the best teams in the league. However, a May slump and a long list of injuries quickly turned that upside down. Since the middle of June, the Cubs’ bats have heated up and put them back into being a top 10 team. However, if they can not fix the cracks in the team, it could slip away again.
This week’s Team Power Rankings see @RaysBaseball climb to third!
(MLB x @Polymarket) pic.twitter.com/VeqtcbET1C
— MLB (@MLB) July 6, 2026
Behind the Biggest Cubs Weaknesses
Starting Pitching Injuries
One of the main Cubs’ weaknesses that has been present this year is the number of injuries that the starting rotation has gone through. Nearly the entire pitching staff has dealt with a stint on the injured list this season. However, no point in the season has it been worse than it is right now. Currently, the starters on the Cubs’ injured list are Justin Steele, Ben Brown, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, and Jameson Taillon.
Coming into the year, it was known that Steele would spend time on the injured list. However, he suffered multiple setbacks, and it is not very likely he will return as a starter this year. He could still be back in a bullpen role. Horton was the next domino to fall, as he suffered a season-ending injury early on. Cabrera has dealt with injuries all year, and it is not known when he will return. It is the same story for Brown, who, after a breakout season, suffered a neck injury. The one bright side is that Taillon is getting close to a return.
Jameson Taillon (strained hamstring) is scheduled to make a rehab start tomorrow for Class-A South Bend, which could put him in line to pitch next weekend in Cincinnati during the final series before the All-Star break.
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) July 4, 2026
Chicago traded for David Peterson to fill the gap, which has had mixed results. All of the guys currently starting have struggled for a solid chunk of the season; however, they have also had some sparks to show their potential. Unless they can get healthy, Chicago may be forced into making another trade, except this time it may need to be for a top-of-the-rotation arm. Right now, it feels safe to say that the Cubs would not get far with the guys they have starting, as they allow far too many runs and struggle to go deep in games.
Lack of Leverage Arms
One of the other big Cubs weaknesses is the bullpen, which, just like the rotation, is struggling with injuries. The biggest ones are closer Daniel Palencia and setup man Hoby Milner, who were two of the best arms out of the bullpen. At this point, it feels like Chicago has been signing different veterans every week in an effort to fill innings, which is another challenge due to the starters not going long in games. The issue with all of these factors is that the Cubs no longer have arms they can trust in high-leverage games. The lack of pitching has clearly held the team back and could very well continue to derail the season.
Inconsistent Bats
Turning to the other side of the team, the bats have had their own issues. Injuries have not been as bad, but the stars have struggled to be consistent threats. Recently, led by Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs’ hitting has been heating up. Since the middle of June, they have been one of the best offenses in the league. While this has been promising and exactly what the team needed, this hot stretch could be hard to maintain unless some of the bigger names can step up.
The biggest example of this is Alex Bregman, who has struggled for most of the season. Ian Happ is another case, who has been a nice power threat but is struggling to hit anything else. Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch have both had times when they have stepped up, but overall are very streaky this season. Seiya Suzuki has been mashing the ball recently, but similar to the others, he has had rough stretches. The one saving grace has been Crow-Armstrong making history and playing out of this world.
Pete didn’t just join the 20/20 club this season — he opened it. pic.twitter.com/KVy8NhHfzH
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 8, 2026
Last Word on the Cubs’ Weaknesses
The biggest Cubs’ weaknesses are a common thing that many teams deal with. Losing most of your starting rotation, as well as your best bullpen weapons, at the same time, is not something that most teams see. This is not saying that Chicago is the only team that has to face this, but the level it has been at is something that the team needs to find a way to deal with. Whether it is through trades or just managing workloads better, if they can not deal with this issue, it is hard to see them making a deep playoff run.
Moving on to the bats, it is much less of an issue. The way the offense has been playing has been enough to carry the team. It is completely normal for players to have bad stretches, but it has been magnified due to the pitching struggles. Anytime your pitchers are allowing a lot of runs, it becomes harder to defend poor-hitting stretches. They have the talent; they just need to find a way to put it together. If the Cubs’ weaknesses remain as prominent as they have been, then Chicago could see 2026 become another year where they finish behind the Milwaukee Brewers and leave the playoffs early.
Main Photo Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
