After a hot start, the Chicago Cubs’ slump has begun to take over the narrative in 2026. Within a few weeks, the Cubs had two 10-game winning streaks. They had an impressive home winning streak and have been successful at winning series. Since then, they have lost four straight series, have gone 2-8 in their last 10 games, and have now lost five straight games. To understand how to stop the slump, it is crucial to understand why it is happening.
What is Causing the Recent Cubs Slump
The simple answer to this is that nothing is going right. The batting, pitching, and even fielding have been struggling. Starting with the fielding, the team is becoming too unfocused. Pete Crow-Armstrong has had errors in the past two games, which is unlike him. Catchers have been letting balls get past them, and pitchers have been throwing wild pitches. This combination has given opposing teams too many extra bases and opportunities. Chicago has still been an overall good defensive team, but they need to cut back on the mistakes if they want to rebound.
Moving on to the pitching, nearly nothing good has been happening. The bullpen has had major concerns, and right now it has not shown signs of stopping. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued their season, and during the Cubs’ slump, they have become even clearer. The Cubs’ starting rotation has shown promise, but recently it has become just as bad. Just like the bullpen, injuries have become a major issue. It looks to be growing even more, as Edward Cabrera, who had a good start but started struggling the past few games, left with a middle finger injury, and he could risk missing his next start.
Even without the injuries, the starting rotation had been struggling. Jameson Taillon has allowed 16 home runs, which is the most in the league. Colin Rea has been far from sharp and allowed 26 runs. Cabrera, who was traded for with the hope he would live up to his potential, has allowed 24 runs. Shota Imanaga has been their best starter, but his ERA has now risen to 3.38. While the pitching has been a major cause of the Cubs’ slump, the batting has shown more concern.
The offense has been shaky for most of the season, but they were still getting enough production to win games. The stars have been overall quiet, and none of them are living up to their expectations. One of the most disappointing is Alex Bregman, whom the Cubs landed this offseason, hoping that he would take the team to the next level. Bregman has a .249 batting average, four homers, and 16 RBI. His slow start to the season has been a prime example of the Cubs’ offense. During the Cubs’ slump, it has been especially bad. Since May 8th, it has been awful, and if the lineup can’t pick it up, then the season could go downhill quickly.
Cubs offense since May 8th:
.197 – BA
.600 – OPS
75 – wRC+
.277 – wOBA
.108 – ISO pic.twitter.com/j0aVdMVXvT— 312 Sports Chicago (@312SportsChi) May 20, 2026
How to Turn the Cubs Slump Around
Unfortunately, many of the reasons for the Cubs’ slump are with the players. For example, injuries are hard to control, and errors are more on the individual players than the team as a whole. However, there are still a few things that they can change. If they want to address the errors, then the main thing they can do is hold the players accountable. If a player makes an error, then the team needs to hold them accountable in every way possible. As much as you want to play your best players, sometimes benching them for a game is worth it.
The biggest downfall for the pitching side of things is injuries. While those are part of the game and very common, if you take proper precautions, then they can be decreased. This is as simple as giving days off and ensuring no one pitches too many games in a row. Ideally, rotating days off helps keep players fresh, which improves their performance. Simply establishing a better schedule and giving people chances in different roles can provide a spark. Ben Brown is a prime example, as moving him back into the rotation has led to him being one of the best starters currently.
7 Ks in 4 innings 🔥
Ben Brown was DEALIN’ 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/DboWZKX3dR
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 15, 2026
To fix the hitting is a harder situation. Much of this falls on the players. Maybe it is altering a stance or more work to prepare for games by reading reports and watching film. One thing that can be done is to manage the lineup better. Many fans have grown upset with Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki hitting back-to-back in the lineup. These two have not been working well together, so they need ot be split up. Nico Hoerner leading off still works, as he is the best contact hitter on the team. Michael Busch should be hitting around the four or five spot, as recently he has been the most productive player.
Additionally, giving days off works the same way it does for the pitching. It keeps hitters fresh and balanced while giving days to reset. This has worked out all right with the catching position, as Carson Kelly is hitting solidly while also getting plenty of days off due to the other catchers on the team. For the infield, options are limited as Matt Shaw is the main backup. However, if he were to play each position once a week, it would give all of the starters time to recover while allowing Shaw major league at-bats so he can continue to grow.
The Last Word on the Cubs Slump
Unfortunately, there are more questions than answers around the current Cubs slump. Many of the issues are with the players themselves. The batters need to change their current approach and become more patient, which is easier said than done. The pitching staff needs to be able to stay healthy and give the Cubs quality innings. For fielding, the players need to stay focused and hustle each time the ball is in play. While many of these factors are on the players, the team can help them through establishing better pitching schedules and making changes to the lineup.
They have the talent, but just need to start performing. Creating better schedules for both hitters and pitchers allows them to stay healthy and fresh. Making changes to the lineup gives hitters new looks, and the team may find that certain players work better at certain spots. The Cubs still have the talent to turn things around, but they need to improve quickly. If the pitchers stay healthy and batters play more consistently, then this slump may not last too much longer.
Main Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
