Strictly speaking, the 2025 Chicago Cubs (76-55) are still 5.0 games out of first place with odds of reclaiming their division that fall somewhere between unlikely (27% per Baseball Reference) and not happening (16.1% chance per FanGraphs). Indeed, failing to win at least four games against the Brewers last week was pretty much the end of that dream. And yet … the vibes are kind of back, right? I can’t be the only one who feels that way. And I think I’ve started to put my finger on why that is/what’s changed.
Let’s talk about it.
Defining the Season
We got into this a few weeks ago, when I was first coming to terms with the fact that (because of the Brewers’ INSANE run) this was not going to be one of those magical wall-to-wall seasons of dominance that ends with the Cubs as the first seed in October. But the tenor of that conversation is striking me differently — more optimistically — this morning.
With the Cubs’ role in the broader baseball landscape becoming more clearly defined (we are the top Wild Card team, and by a pretty solid margin), I am starting to embrace new goals …
Locking up that top Wild Card slot, ensuring home-field advantage for the play-in series. Trying to catch the Brewers, but without the pressure of HAVING to catch the Brewers… and that’s giving me a little direction, a little purpose, a little swagger.
Right now, the Cubs are in the playoff picture by 6.5 games (which is greater than the gap between themselves and the Brewers for first place in the NL Central). And because of that, their playoff odds excceed 99%. Comfortable, to say the least.
But they’ve also got a two-game advantage for the top WC slot over the Dodgers/Padres, neither of whom we have to face the rest of this season. So the Cubs are in a pretty good position to ensure that they’ll at least get a playoff series (potentially at home if they keep the top spot), which, with the way Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, and Cade Horton are pitching right now, feels pretty darn manageable.
But then there’s the second one.
Exactly one week ago, the Chicago Cubs were NINE games out of first place. One week later, after taking three of five from Milwaukee and sweeping the Angels at the end of playing 14 games in 13 days, they’re just FIVE games out. And it’s not even September yet. The gap is still quite large, and I wouldn’t expect them to gain four games on the Brewers over the next seven days (especially without the head-to-head matchups), but it’s clearly not impossible.
And that’s a big part of the vibe change: The pressure we had been feeling about letting first place slip away is gone, and all that’s left is an outside shot of doing something crazy (reclaiming the division). I don’t like how we got here, but now, it seems, the two most likely outcomes are: (1) a ridiculous, magical run of our own (unlikely, but a fun goal), or (2) winding up as a Wild Card team.
And it doesn’t hurt that the Brewers’ remaining strength of schedule (.511 opponent W%, 10th in MLB) is still WAY tougher than the Cubs’ (.456, 29th in MLB). I know the haters will say that has clearly not mattered to date (we’ve been saying it all second-half), but it’s still relevant, and you know it is.
The Good Stories
So that was all the collective, team-wide stuff. But I’ve also been emotionally revived by a handful of individually positive storylines.
Kyle Tucker got benched after the low point of the season (Monday night’s blowout loss to the Brewers), and it felt awful. But over the weekend, he had five hits, including three homers and a double, plus two walks. I don’t think we know if he’s “back” or not, but that’s about as convincing of a performance as anyone could’ve hoped. And he’s smiling in the dugout again. I just love to see that. No one will be upset to see his name pencilled into the top of the Cubs lineup tomorrow against the Giants. Matt Shaw‘s second half is going better than anyone could’ve imagined. We’ll talk about him in a dedicated post later today, but his production at the plate, success on the base paths, and increasingly incredible defense at third base are all so incredibly comforting. Regardless of the impact he’ll have on the rest of this season, Shaw’s performance is inspiring a LOT more confidence for the near-term future of the Chicago Cubs. Cade Horton is setting mini records that are putting him in a conversation alongside 2015 Jake Arrieta and 2016 Jon Lester. No, he’s not that caliber of pitcher (yet), but that run has happened, and it’s awesome. And it’s enough to make him the FAVORITE for NL Rookie of the Year.chat, is this good? pic.twitter.com/KeC6rHE4T1
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 24, 2025Cade Horton is now the NL Rookie of the Year favorite at DraftKings ? pic.twitter.com/cByisVyTv1
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) August 25, 2025 Like Matt Shaw, Horton is making me so much more confident in the 2026+ Chicago Cubs. No longer does it feel like this is a one-and-done type of season. Meanwhile, Ian Happ has a .363 OBP and a 121 wRC+ over his last 102 plate appearances. Nico Hoerner is hitting .310 with a .361 OBP (111 wRC+) since July 5. Owen Caissie is up with the Cubs and has already contributed meaningfully. Javier Assad is back and has posted a 3.86 ERA over three starts. And Jameson Taillon, depending on how that cramping unfolds, is back and looking as sharp as ever.And honestly, I could go on with several others. But I think you get the point.
So, again, am I happy that the Cubs are no longer in first place? No, of course not. But because of how well this last week has gone, I feel so much lighter. There’s so much less pressure, and I am excited to see how these last 31 games go. The vibes are back, and I just want to watch as much Cubs baseball as possible … something I was not quite feeling last Monday night.
Hence then, the article about is it just me or are the vibes kind of back was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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