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Cubs vs. Padres: Breaking down the 2026 season series
Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs vs. Padres: Breaking down the 2026 season series

By Andrew Wright  |  Last updated Sep 28, 2026 5:52 PM ET
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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.

Chicago emerged victorious in last season's wild-card series against San Diego and that success carried over into the 2026 regular season. The Cubs took five out of six games from the Padres this season, including a 23-3 win at Wrigley Field.

Let's dive into who stood out from each side in the regular season series between the two teams.

What did the season series between Chicago and San Diego tell us about the Cubs?

The entire Cubs offense could be mentioned here, as they averaged a whopping 9.1 runs per game in the season series. There was no player better, though, than Dansby Swanson, as he had a season series for the ages against San Diego.

In 17 at-bats, Swanson slashed .647/.667/.1.647, good for an OPS of 2.314 with five home runs and 13 RBI. A large part of that was due to his three-home run performance, but it was still an absurd stretch for Swanson to post those gaudy numbers.

The National League MVP frontrunner Pete Crow-Armstrong also performed excellent against San Diego, slashing .364/.481/.909, good for an OPS of 1.391 with four home runs and 10 RBI.

What did the season series between Chicago and San Diego tell us about the Padres?

Despite losing five of the six games between the teams, San Diego still has plenty of good to look back on and be excited about heading into the wild-card series.

Even in his down season, star third baseman Manny Machado was excellent against the Cubs in the regular season. Machado slashed .300/.333/.600 with one homer, two RBI and three doubles.

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts was also productive against Chicago, slashing .286/.375/.476, good for an OPS of .851 with a double, a homer and two RBI.

Who has the edge in the series?

This series will ultimately come down to the Cubs' ability to score off the Padres starters before Craig Stammen turns the game over to his bullpen.

San Diego's bullpen ERA of 3.53 was the fifth best in baseball and third best in the NL. If the Padres can take an early lead and get to the game to the bullpen, they'll likely avenge their wild-card series loss in 2025.

The Cubs offense, though, was among the best in baseball all season long. It has the ability to get hot in a heartbeat and the depth of their lineup gives them a slight advantage over San Diego.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan. 

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