The Chicago Cubs entered October believing they had the roster, the momentum, and the star power to make a run. Instead, they were embarrassed by the Padres in the Wild Card series, exposed in every phase, and sent home with more questions than answers. The front office now faces one of the most important offseasons in recent franchise history.
Well, Cubs fans. Go ahead and turn the lights off. The 2026 Chicago Cubs season is over. And after watching the last two nights in San Diego, I’m not sure there was ever a better way to describe the ending than lifeless.
Elimination night at Petco Park, and the Chicago Cubs ran out of answers. San Diego closed the series with a 4-1 win in NL Wild Card Game 2, finishing a two-night sweep after an 8-0 blanking in Game 1 and sending Chicago home for the winter.
The Chicago Cubs had the best offense in baseball this year, leading the sport in runs per game, OPS, total bases and more during the regular season. Unfortunately, their potent lineup completely disappeared once the playoffs started.
The Chicago Cubs’ season ended the way too many recent ones have, with an early playoff exit in San Diego and a roster already looking different for next spring.
The 2026 season has been headlined by young players emerging, but some wily veterans have also had their day. As we head toward the end of the regular season, these 30 players stand out as the biggest surprises on their teams.
And just like that, the season comes to an end with barely a whimper. Over two days, the Cubs looked completely and totally over matched. If you’re a decades long Cubs fan, you’ve seen this before.
The Chicago Cubs were flat out embarrassed in this Wild Card series. Craig Counsell's team was outscored 12-1 over two games after watching their chances of hosting a three-game playoff series at Wrigley Field slip away.
It was a horrible offensive performance for the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres. The Padres shut down one of the best offensive teams in baseball in the process of sweeping the Cubs.
When the Chicago Cubs began the 2026 season 27-12, a stretch that included two 10-game winning streaks, many of us thought, “Hey — maybe this year can be something special.” Well.
Today’s Reflections Okay. The appearance of San Diego native Joe Musgrove in the ninth inning, to the screams of a chanting crowd, was pretty cool. And that was the only enjoyable part of Game 1 of the Wild Card game versus the Padres.
It’s fair to say Cubs fans had mixed feelings heading into this year’s postseason. The team that struggled down the stretch, lost the top Wild Card spot, and was running into a buzzsaw had an uphill battle.
The Chicago Cubs’ 2026 postseason ended in two nights of silence and a single run. San Diego swept the National League wild-card series, winning 8-0 on Tuesday and 4-1 on Wednesday at Petco Park.
With the Chicago Cubs' 2026 season coming to an ugly end on Wednesday night, the offseason has begun for President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer and his front office.
The Chicago Cubs are facing elimination after a difficult start to the postseason, but shortstop Dansby Swanson said the team plans to stick with what worked during the regular season.
For the first time this season, the Chicago Cubs will face elimination. The Cubs enter Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series with their backs against the wall following an embarrassing 8-0 drubbing at the hands of the lively San Diego Padres.
Michael King just made the winter conversation louder, and the Chicago Cubs might be listening. After carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finishing with seven scoreless frames in San Diego’s 8-0 Wild Card opener against Chicago, the Padres right-hander looked every bit like a pitcher ready to test the market again.
The Chicago Cubs start to the 2026 post season is not off to a good start. In Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series they were shut out by the San Diego Padres in a crushing 8-0 defeat.
The Chicago Cubs didn’t start their playoff run as hoped, falling in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series to the San Diego Padres, 8-0. Now, the franchise is on the brink of postseason elimination.
In a wild-card series that nearly came down to the final game of the season to determine home field advantage, the Chicago Cubs will be traveling out west for a rematch of a 2025 NLWCS matchup against the San Diego Padres.
Just one week after Bregman experienced a scary injury, he marked a tremendous comeback by hitting two no-doubt home runs against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.