Chicago Cubs End Drought: Are They Poised for a Shocking Postseason Surge?

The Chicago Cubs have finally punched their ticket back to October baseball, ending a drought that’s dragged on since 2020. Wednesday’s 8-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park was more than a win—it was a statement. With a four-run explosion in the first inning sparked by home runs from Ian Happ and Moises Ballesteros, followed by three more runs in the sixth, the Cubs showcased the firepower that’s propelled them back into the postseason conversation. It’s been a long, winding road since that pandemic-shortened campaign when the Cubs bowed out early, but this year feels different. The roster underwent a major overhaul after the highs of 2016 and the struggles that followed; key players were jettisoned, and the team slogged through a couple of tough seasons. But strides made in recent years coupled with the bold acquisition of elite talent like Houston’s Kyle Tucker have reignited hope. While the Milwaukee Brewers still hold a tight grip on the NL Central, Chicago’s wild-card berth locks in their spot among baseball’s elite once again. What lies ahead is no cakewalk—the Brewers, Phillies, and even last year’s champion Dodgers loom large—but this Cubs squad isn’t just here to make noise; they’re gunning to bring that World Series glory back home. Buckle up, because this postseason journey promises to be one heck of a ride. LEARN MORE

The Chicago Cubs are heading back to the playoffs.

For the first time since 2020, the Cubs clinched a postseason berth with their 8-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon. The Cubs put up four runs in the opening inning at PNC Park, thanks in part to home runs from Ian Happ and Moises Ballesteros, and then they added three more in the sixth to help power them to the four-run win.

It marks the first time since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season that the Cubs will play in the MLB postseason. The team went 34-26 that year, but failed to pick up a win in the playoffs, falling to the Miami Marlins 2-0 in the wild-card series.

Advertisement

That loss proved to be the beginning of the end for the core that led the team to a World Series win in 2016. The Cubs non-tendered Kyle Schwarber in December. After the team got off to a poor start in 2021, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant were all traded away.

The Cubs finished 71-91 that season, good for fourth place in the National League Central. The team wasn’t much better the following year, going 74-88 and finishing third.

But the Cubs started to show some signs of progress in 2023. Free-agent additions Dansby Swanson and Cody Bellinger helped lift the team to an 83-79 finish. The team inked pitcher Shota Imanaga the following offseason and once again posted an 83-79 record.

Encouraged by the growth the team showed, the Cubs decided to make a push for the playoffs in 2025 by acquiring Houston Astros star Kyle Tucker. The move came at a cost, as the Cubs traded prospect Cam Smith in the deal. The team also traded Cody Bellinger in a separate deal to make room for Tucker, who is in the final year of his contract and has not signed an extension with the franchise yet.

Advertisement

Tucker’s presence immediately lifted the rest of the lineup. Pete Crow-Armstrong, who was acquired in the Baez trade, put up superstar-caliber numbers in the first half. Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner and Matthew Boyd all found another level to lift the lineup and youngster Cade Horton shored up the pitching staff.

Entering play Wednesday, the Cubs ranked eighth in runs scored and fifth in runs allowed. Despite that impressive performance, the Cubs haven’t been able to catch the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central who lead all of baseball with 92 wins. While the Cubs could technically still win the division, it’s far more likely the team will enter the postseason in one of the three NL wild-card spots.

With the postseason drought over, the Cubs will now aim to secure yet another World Series title. They’ll need to take down some powerful foes to make that happen. Both the Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies present major competition for Chicago. And while the Los Angeles Dodgers haven’t been as dominant as expected, the team did win it all last season.

Advertisement

The journey from here will be tough, but the Cubs always knew that would be the case. After pushing their chips to the center of the table and acquiring Tucker in the offseason, the Cubs’ goal was never to simply make the playoffs; it was to win it all.

The first part of that checklist is down. Now, it’s up to the Cubs to prove they have another World Series run in them.