Top 4 Chicago Cubs Spring Training Storylines to Follow

Spring training is well underway, and it will not be long until the first pitch is being thrown on Opening Day at Wrigley Field.

The Chicago Cubs are coming off of their first “successful” season since 2017, winning 92 games and a playoff series, before being defeated in the NLDS. While lots of familiar faces have returned to the North Side, there are still lots of new storylines, questions and important topics to discuss before the Cubs begin their 2026 season.

Free-agent signings, trade acquisitions, prospects, players being switched to new positions, and much more are all things to look out for in Spring training. 

As camp continues at Sloan Park in Mesa, we may find answers to whatever questions we have. What will the bullpen look like? How will manager Craig Counsell fill out his lineup card? Can the additions of Alex Bregman and Edward Cabrera mesh and help the Cubs improve on their 2025 season?

Spring camp almost never gives us all the answers, but it will still be important to look out for clues.

What Will the Pitching Staff Look Like?

The Cubs were top 10 in starter ERA and batting average against (BAA) in 2025, and they held an MLB-best 1.14 WHIP. This was thanks in part to great seasons from Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton. 

However, Boyd’s production tapered off toward the end of the season, and the Cubs lost Horton to a rib fracture right before the postseason.

There is no doubt that this is a big reason why they fell short to the Brewers in October last season. To address their depth problems, the Cubs added Edward Cabrera in a trade with the Marlins, hoping that his addition will add a starter with great upside to an already solid starting rotation.

Spring training will be a good look into the Cubs’ plans for the starting rotation in 2026, as well as a sample of what we can expect out of the production we can expect from their starters.

Another story to follow will be the performance of Shota Imanaga. Imanaga broke onto the scene after signing with the Cubs before the 2024 season. In his first season, he had a 2.91 ERA, 137 ERA+, made the All-Star Game and finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting.

Unfortunately, in 2025, he struggled to stay healthy, his ERA+ fell to 103, and his velo ticked down as well. Spring training will be a good look at if he can get his velo back up and get back to his 2024 production.

Finally, an important thing to watch out for will be the bullpen. The Cubs lost their top reliever in terms of bWAR in 2025, Brad Keller, to free agency. They also let Drew Pomeranz walk, who had a solid season himself.

Conversely, Chicago held on to Caleb Thielbar, who had a great season with a 2.64 ERA and a 0.879 WHIP in 58.0 IP, and they also retained Daniel Palencia, who pitched well in his first season in the closer role, saving 22 games in 24 opportunities. 

In order to make up for their other losses, Jed Hoyer added lots of veterans to short-term deals. They signed Hoby Milner, Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey and Jacob Webb. They also signed Shelby Miller, but he is expected to miss the entire 2026 season.

Spring training will be a great chance to see what the bullpen will look like in 2026 and for these arms to hit their stride leading up to Opening Day.

Has PCA Made Adjustments to His Approach?

2025 was a special year for Pete Crow-Armstrong. He achieved a 30-30 season, only the second player in Cubs history to do so, and he won his first Gold Glove in center field.

When you look at his season from a distance, it seems like all the Cubs could have hoped for and more out of the 23-year-old in only his second season at the major-league level. However, when you look closer, it isn’t hard to see why some fans were disappointed.

After a first half where he had an .846 OPS, 50 extra-base hits (XBH), and 25 home runs, he earned the starting spot in center field for the NL in the All-Star Game. However, he limped to the finish, only managing a .643 OPS, 22 XBH and six home runs in the second half.

In the playoffs, it was more of the same. He slashed .185/.214/.185 and struck out over 40% of his at-bats. 

After earning MVP consideration in the first half, his OBP fell below .300 and his OPS dipped all the way to .768. He ended the season with 155 strikeouts and only 29 walks.

It isn’t complicated what needs to happen for PCA to be successful. He is the kind of player who can be extremely effective if he gets on base and is a steal threat while managing around 20 home runs a season. He doesn’t need to be a 40-homer guy in order to be great, but obviously the Cubs would welcome that kind of production.

However, if his pursuit of this power comes at the cost of striking out over five times more than he draws walks, that isn’t really worth it. Spring training will be a good look into what he worked on over the offseason, and if we can expect a more patient approach for PCA in 2026.

All Eyes on Bregman

This is the second offseason in a row where the Cubs have made a big splash by acquiring a multiple-time All-Star. Last season, it was Kyle Tucker via a trade. This time, they signed Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million deal.

Bregman will assume the role of starting third baseman, forming one of MLB’s best infields with Bregman, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch. Combined, these four accumulated a sum of 18.8 bWAR in 2025.

Bregman finished 2025 with a .273/.360/.462 slash line and a .821 OPS. However, he suffered a right quad strain in late May, keeping him out until around the All-Star break. Before this injury, he slashed .299/.385/.553 and was sitting at a .938 OPS.

Following his return from injury, he only slashed .250/.338/.386 with a .724 OPS. While his season numbers were still pretty good, there’s no doubt that the Cubs will be hoping that Bregman can return to his production from before his injury.

Bregman is a veteran who has played in over 100 postseason games in his career. The Cubs are hoping that this reputation will bring an immediate impact that can help get them over the hump and compete for a World Series in 2026.

Spring training will be a good first indicator at what we can expect out of Bregman and the kind of impact he will make on the field in Chicago. Likewise, it will be a good opportunity for him to get situated as the leader in the clubhouse before the regular season gets underway.

What Can We Expect from Matt Shaw?

One of the most interesting questions of the offseason has to be what Matt Shaw’s role will be in 2026. He started nearly every game at third base for the Cubs in 2025 and played pretty well in his first season in MLB. His ability to turn his play around later in the year after a dreadful start to his MLB career was impressive alone.

However, with the signing of Bregman, Shaw is now positionless. There is a vacancy in right field with the departure of Kyle Tucker, but Seiya Suzuki has seen fair amount of time out there, so Shaw definitely won’t be the full-time right fielder. 

Most likely, Shaw will serve as a super-utility infielder, filling in when the Cubs need him. Whether he is filling in on days off, or taking over should there be an injury, Shaw will probably be used in lots of different ways in 2026. Cubs camp will be our first look at how Chicago plan to use him.