The Chicago Cubs are largely finished reshaping their pitching staff as they prepare for the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
With spring training approaching, the front office appears content with the group it has assembled, signaling that any remaining moves would likely be minor depth additions rather than headline-grabbing signings.
This strategic pause has prompted an important question among fans and analysts alike.
Are the Cubs actually a better pitching team in 2026 than they were a season ago.
Despite lingering rumors connecting Chicago to high-profile arms such as Zac Gallen, the likelihood of committing another $15 million or more annually to a pitcher seems slim at this stage of the offseason.
From a financial and roster-balancing standpoint, the Cubs appear unwilling to make that level of investment so late in the process.
That reality effectively locks in the pitching group the Cubs will carry into the new season.
With that clarity in place, now is an ideal moment to compare the 2025 pitching staff with the projected 2026 version.
To properly assess whether meaningful improvement has occurred, both the starting rotation and the bullpen must be evaluated independently.
Each unit tells a slightly different story.
Rotation
At first glance, the Cubs’ rotation entering 2026 looks remarkably similar to the one they fielded a year ago.
Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton, and Jameson Taillon are all returning after pitching significant innings in 2025.
Continuity alone, however, does not tell the full story of why this rotation projects to be stronger.
The most significant internal addition comes in the form of Justin Steele, who is expected to rejoin the rotation at some point during the first half of the season.
Steele was limited to just four appearances in 2025, a frustrating setback that forced the Cubs to rely on less-proven depth options.
His return alone represents a substantial upgrade.
Beyond internal health improvements, the Cubs also made a decisive external move by trading for Edward Cabrera.
Cabrera is coming off the best season of his career, posting a 3.53 ERA while striking out 150 batters across 137â…” innings.
Those numbers reflect not only improved command but also increased durability, two traits the Cubs desperately needed in the middle of their rotation.
When fully healthy, Chicago can realistically deploy a six-man group consisting of Boyd, Imanaga, Horton, Taillon, Steele, and Cabrera.
That level of depth stands in stark contrast to last season’s circumstances.
In 2025, the Cubs were forced to lean heavily on Ben Brown, who made 15 starts despite entering the year as a depth option rather than a core rotation piece.
Brown’s role was more a reflection of necessity than long-term planning.
That scenario appears far less likely to repeat in 2026.
This year, Brown slots in as the Cubs’ No. 9 starter, trailing the six primary arms as well as Colin Rea and Javier Assad.
That alone illustrates the improved structural integrity of the rotation.
Perhaps the most telling indicator of progress is the role Jameson Taillon is expected to play.
Taillon has posted a sub-3.70 ERA in back-to-back seasons, yet he enters 2026 projected as the team’s No. 5 starter.
That is a luxury few teams can claim.
Taken as a whole, the Cubs’ rotation is undeniably stronger than it was one year ago.
Bullpen
If the rotation tells a story of stability and reinforcement, the bullpen reflects transformation and uncertainty.
The Cubs will enter the 2026 season with a relief corps that looks almost entirely different from last year’s group.
Veterans such as Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, and Andrew Kittredge all departed during the offseason.
In response, Chicago was one of the more active teams on the relief pitcher market.
The Cubs signed Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, and Hunter Harvey to Major League contracts.
They also re-signed Caleb Thielbar following a resurgent 2025 campaign.
With so many new faces, evaluating whether the bullpen improved becomes significantly more complex.
Only two meaningful pieces carry over from last season’s group, Thielbar and Daniel Palencia.
Everyone else is new.
That lack of continuity creates both opportunity and risk.
The departure of Brad Keller may be more impactful than many realize, given his ability to absorb high-leverage innings.
Drew Pomeranz quietly emerged as a reliable left-handed option, filling a role that often goes underappreciated.
Andrew Kittredge was particularly effective late in the year, posting a 1.54 ERA across his final 12 appearances.
Replacing that collective reliability is no small task.
At the same time, the incoming group brings intriguing upside.
Maton and Milner are both coming off solid seasons, providing a degree of baseline stability.
Webb has posted a sub-3.05 ERA in consecutive seasons, suggesting consistent effectiveness rather than a fluke.
Harvey, when healthy, profiles as a late-inning weapon capable of missing bats at an elite rate.
Health, of course, remains the key variable.
When weighing the two groups, last year’s bullpen may hold a slight edge entering the season.
However, the margin is extremely thin.
The 2026 bullpen has a wider range of outcomes, but also a higher theoretical ceiling.
Verdict
Taken in its entirety, the Cubs’ pitching staff is better positioned in 2026 than it was in 2025.
The rotation has clearly improved, both in quality and depth.
The addition of Edward Cabrera gives Chicago six legitimate starting options, reducing the likelihood of overexposing unproven arms.
Justin Steele’s return alone changes the complexion of the staff.
While the bullpen enters the season with more uncertainty, it also carries significant upside.
If even two or three of the new additions perform near their recent peaks, the relief corps could surpass last year’s group.
That outcome is far from guaranteed, but it is plausible.
Ultimately, the Cubs’ front office, led by Jed Hoyer, deserves credit for methodically addressing pitching needs without overextending resources.
The 2026 Cubs may not feature a singular dominant ace or a lockdown bullpen on paper, but they appear deeper, more balanced, and better equipped to withstand the inevitable attrition of a long season.
In a division where consistency often decides October fates, that improvement could prove decisive.
