The Cubs were swept again on Sunday, increasing the losing streak to eight games. They’ve lost five straight series and are 2-12 in their last 14 games. A team that was in first place with aspirations of running away with the division is now in third place, battling four other teams in an uncharacteristically good NL Central. Despite this awful stretch of baseball, all the Cubs can do at this point is wait it out.
As the series against the Rangers began at Globe Life Field, the Cubs were the hottest team in baseball. Vibes were through the roof, as the team had won nine straight games. That Friday, they scored 7 runs and won their tenth straight game for the second time in the young season. They were riding the wave of success, with no end in sight.
The baseball gods, of course, had other plans in mind. Since that victory on May 8, the Cubs have won just 2 games, a statistic that still doesn’t feel real. Those two wins came on back-to-back days, when the Cubs avoided a sweep against the Braves and then scored 10 runs against the White Sox to open up the Crosstown Series. They almost won that series on Sunday after a clutch, game-tying, three-run home run from Michael Conforto in the ninth inning, but the White Sox walked them off in the 10th inning.
After losing a series to their crosstown rivals, the Cubs got swept by their division rivals. The Brewers’ sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley Field was nothing short of embarrassing on all accounts. The Cubs couldn’t pitch, hit, or field. It was one of the worst series I’ve seen the Cubs play, probably the worst since the games against the Braves in September of 2023.
In the latest series, the Cubs were swept by the Astros, who were 11 games under .500 before playing the Cubs. Even after allowing just seven runs over this three-game stretch, they still have the worst pitching staff in baseball. Nonetheless, the Cubs’ bats stayed rather quiet against that Astros team. Things were looking up on Sunday as the Cubs claimed their first lead in a week, but a five-run inning allowed by Shota Imanaga, which marked his second straight rough outing, was too much for the offense to overcome.
Teams in panic mode will often promote players from the minor leagues, make drastic changes to the lineup, or make a trade as a last resort. The Cubs have already done the first two of those actions, and it’s too early for the third to become a possibility.
Top prospects Pedro Ramírez and Kevin Alcántara are both on the major league team after being promoted in the last week, with the Cubs hoping they can provide a much-needed spark to this offense.
Ramírez had a strong Spring Training, and followed that up by winning the International League Player of the Month in April with the Iowa Cubs. His impact is already being felt in the Cubs’ lineup, as the switch-hitter recorded his first MLB hit and RBI on Sunday, along with a walk.
first big league hit for Pedro! ? pic.twitter.com/mCQJr2ugu2
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 24, 2026Alcántara’s playing time will likely be more scarce than Ramírez’s due to the crowded outfield, but it’s good to have a bat on the bench to use against left-handed pitching, opposite of Conforto, who is mainly playing against righties. Alcántara has done well in Triple-A this season, hitting 15 home runs in just 41 games. His strikeout rate is still higher than most, but there are some signs of improvement in that department as of late.
Kevin Alcántara’s strikeout rate has been WAY down over the past several weeks. Still higher than league average, but more palatable with the amount of slug he’s continued to show.Before 4/28: .216/.310/.545, 38.0% KSince 4/28: .284/.368/.612, 26.3% K
— Greg Huss (@OutOfTheVines) May 21, 2026Craig Counsell is given the tough job of finding playing time for both prospects, along with Conforto and Moisés Ballesteros, all of whom have the potential to give the team offensive production.
Aside from Michael Busch, virtually the entire lineup has stopped hitting. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, among others, have been unable to come through with runners in scoring position. Nico Hoerner, who began the year on an MVP pace, has a .207 average in his last 30 games, with just 15 RBIs during that span.
After several days of putting out the same lineup in hopes that something would change, Counsell finally changed the lineup, something he’s now done in two straight games in hopes of finding the answer to this dormant offense.
Offense isn’t the only issue, however.
Edward Cabrera went on the Injured List on Sunday, joining three other starting pitchers on the shelf for the Cubs. Imanaga has given up 15 runs in his last two starts, an extreme difference from his incredible start to the season. One of the issues with the pitching department at the moment is that reinforcements simply aren’t available.
Jaxon Wiggins, the team’s top pitching prospect, has been sidelined for over a month. Jed Hoyer is running out of arms to deploy that have even a little major league experience. Fans are quick to blame Hoyer for his construction of the team, but at the beginning of the year, the pitching depth seemed like it would be enough to weather a few injuries. The problem is that no one could have expected the team’s injury luck to be this bad. The pitching staff is now tasked with staying afloat until pitchers return from the IL.
It’s gotten to the point where all you can do is sit back and chuckle. Everything that can go wrong with this Cubs team has gone wrong. One of the only positives as of late is how healthy the lineup has stayed (knock on wood), aside from Matt Shaw, who was recently placed on the 10-day IL due to a back injury.
The Cubs are not a bad baseball team, but they aren’t an amazing one either. When they were going on their run of 20-3 over 23 games, regression was more inevitable than ever. However, I never expected it to hit this strongly.
Fangraphs projects the Cubs to finish with 85 wins, while PECOTA is more generous, giving the North Siders 90 wins when it’s all set and done. As Counsell said after Saturday’s game, there’s plenty of time to erase this two-week stretch and play winning baseball.
"We're gonna come out of this, it's gonna be fine. We're a good baseball team and it's all gonna happen. But while you go through it you gotta sit in some discomfort."Craig Counsell on today's loss. pic.twitter.com/wO4fRfnBHd
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 23, 2026One of the main reasons that fans should have confidence in this roster is because of that incredible run that the team had from the middle of April to the beginning of May. This team, especially the offense, has the potential to be among the best in baseball. That talent doesn’t just disappear. This isn’t a real-life Space Jam. At least I don’t think it is.
Cubs fans shouldn’t press the panic button quite yet. Are we getting close to that point? If this goes on for another week or two, panic will start to feel justified, but for now, I’m more frustrated than worried.
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