Thanks to a breakout star and a precocious rookie starter, the Cubs made some noise in the 2025 postseason.
For the Cubs to get even further next season, they’ll need players to step up like Crow-Armstrong and Horton did in 2025. Here are six Cubs who could be integral to a postseason push in 2026.
Steele made just four starts in 2025 before undergoing season-ending surgery on his left UCL, leaving a sizable hole at the top of the Cubs rotation. The southpaw had rather quietly been one of the best left-handed starters in the Majors over the prior few seasons, posting a 3.10 ERA in 78 starts from 2022-24. He was named an All-Star in 2023, striking out 176 batters in 173 1/3 innings and finishing fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting.
While Steele might not be ready to return by Opening Day 2026, the pitcher resumed a throwing program in October and aims to be back toward the beginning of the season. If he’s back on the mound — and effective — well before the All-Star break, it would go a long way for a talented rotation led by Horton and left-handers Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga. Having Steele available for a potential postseason rotation would be crucial, too.
The Cubs’ top prospect — currently ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 47 prospect in baseball — Caissie got his first cup of coffee in the Major Leagues in 2025. The outfielder batted just .192 with a .568 OPS in 12 games, but he did show off his plus power with an opposite-field homer in a game against the Brewers. Despite a high strikeout rate (27.9% in the Minors in 2025), Caissie also possesses solid plate discipline (13.2% walk rate) and profiles as a solid defender in right field.
Few 2025 developments were more positive for the Cubs than Shaw’s turnaround during his rookie season. Chicago’s 2023 first-round Draft pick out of Maryland made the club’s Opening Day roster in 2025 but initially appeared overmatched, posting a .172/.294/.241 slash line in 18 games before being sent down to Triple-A Iowa. But when Shaw was called back up a month later, he began producing, hitting .236 with a .716 OPS over the remainder of the season and totaling 3.1 bWAR as a rookie.
What sparked Shaw’s sudden surge? Tinkering with his stance throughout the season and hammering four-seam fastballs were the biggest components of the rookie’s turnaround. If those changes carry over into permanent success, Shaw has every chance to be an above-average third baseman — something the Cubs could use after trading Isaac Paredes to the Astros in last winter’s Tucker deal.
The Cubs had high hopes for Brown entering 2025, particularly after an impressive 2024 debut for the right-hander: a 3.58 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings. But Brown suffered a sophomore slump of sorts, raising his ERA to 5.92 in 2025 across 25 games and being moved out of the rotation and into the bullpen. Brown has always flashed strikeout stuff (10.3 career K/9), but he was hit hard in 2025: He allowed an average exit velocity of 92.4 mph, tied for the highest of any qualifying pitcher.
A 33rd-round draft pick by the Phillies in 2017 who turned himself into a top prospect, Brown was acquired by the Cubs in 2022 for reliever David Robertson. He made his debut out of the bullpen early in 2024 and started eight games that season, firing seven hitless innings with 10 strikeouts in a late-May outing at Milwaukee. Brown’s potential as a starter is limitless, but his ineffectiveness may mean his future is as a reliever. If he can either find his way back into the rotation or become a trusted leverage arm, it could go a long way for the Cubs in 2026.
It was admittedly a small sample, but Ballesteros’ first taste of MLB was better than he and the Cubs probably expected. Appearing predominantly at designated hitter, Ballesteros slashed .298/.394/.474 (.868 OPS) with a pair of home runs in 66 plate appearances at the Major League level. Chicago’s No. 2 prospect has already shown he belongs — but can he prove even more in 2026?
The Cubs sure hope so. Late in the season, Ballesteros — who possesses excellent plate discipline and a strong hit tool — batted primarily in the cleanup spot, a position that could fit the slugger well. With Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya on the roster, Ballesteros figures to play sparingly at catcher once again, but he has the chops to handle a key defensive position if needed.
The difference was stark between Hodge’s 2024 and 2025 seasons. The righty reliever was lights out as a rookie, making 39 appearances with a 1.88 ERA, nine saves and 52 strikeouts in 43 innings. But last season, Hodge struggled to a 6.27 ERA in 33 innings, was up and down from Triple-A Iowa and endured two separate stints on the injured list with a left oblique strain and a right shoulder impingement.
Hodge’s struggles were part of the reason the Cubs bullpen had an up-and-down 2025, struggling in March and April before righting the ship. With Daniel Palencia emerging as a bona fide closing option, Hodge — who began the season as Chicago’s setup man — would be welcomed back into that role. If his 2026 looks more like his 2024 than his 2025, that would be crucial for the Cubs’ relief corps.
