The Chicago Cubs are in a rut-and the timing couldn’t be worse. A team that looked like a legit World Series contender for much of the first half now finds itself stumbling down the stretch, while division rival Milwaukee is catching fire. The Brewers have been scorching hot, and their surge has only magnified the Cubs’ struggles, turning what was once a tight NL Central race into a one-sided story.
Now, let’s be clear: there’s still time left in the season. But make no mistake-the Cubs are running out of margin for error, and the gap in the division standings isn’t just about their own inconsistency. Milwaukee’s tear has been relentless, and for Chicago, every missed opportunity feels heavier.
The trade deadline passed without the Cubs making the kind of impact move that could’ve sparked a turnaround. While some of their competition, like Seattle and San Diego, went all-in and are now gaining ground in their respective playoff races, the Cubs stood relatively pat. And that lack of urgency could come back to haunt them.
Look no further than the current state of two key players: Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker. Both started for the National League in the All-Star Game-clear indicators of their first-half dominance.
But since then, their bats have gone quiet. The power has vanished, the confidence at the plate seems to be shaken, and their slumps have echoed across the entire Cubs lineup.
We don’t know whether a blockbuster trade would’ve turned their individual performances around, but what we do know is this: teams that add at the deadline often get a shot of life. That jolt-the kind Chicago was banking on from within-just never came.
And with no big reinforcements arriving either, the burden has stayed squarely on the shoulders of their top guys. Right now, those shoulders are sagging.
If the Cubs had added a productive bat or another arm, even just a high-level role player, it might’ve been enough to ease the pressure on Crow-Armstrong and Tucker while giving the rest of the roster a much-needed energy boost. Instead, they’ve had to ride it out with largely the same group. And that’s a tough ask when your leaders on the field are in a funk.
There’s still a month and a half of baseball left, and crazier things have happened in a pennant race. But the Cubs’ current trajectory doesn’t inspire confidence.
The division may not be mathematically lost-but the sense of momentum and possibility? That feels like it’s already walking out the door.
How they perform over the next few weeks-and how their stars respond-will determine if this is simply a cold spell or a collapse in the making. For now, though, the Cubs are watching the Brewers pull away in the mirror, and that image is growing smaller by the day.
