The Chicago Cubs were swept in the NL Wild Card round by the San Diego Padres, losing both games in a heartbreaking end to their 2026 campaign.
While the pitching didn’t help the Cubs much, the real issue was the team’s complete lack of offensive production in Games 1 and 2. Nico Hoerner knocked in the only run of the playoffs for the Cubs, and it didn’t amount to anything.
This brutal exit from the postseason was best highlighted by one statistic Jesse Rogers of ESPN shared after their elimination. Somehow, the Cubs have not won a game when they didn’t hit a home run dating back to July 30 of the 2026 season.
Cubs go two months without winning a game where they didn’t hit a HR
“From @ESPNInsights: FWIW, The Cubs haven’t won a game when they don’t homer since July 30th at the Cardinals (won 4-2),” Rogers shared. “They’ve lost 14 in a row when they don’t hit a home run, longest streak in MLB and longest for them since 2010.”
The Cubs offense didn’t hit a home run in either postseason game, leading to two losses and extending this brutal streak to two months.
It’s been two months since the Cubs last won a game in which they did not hit a home run. That’s not a recipe for success whatsoever. They have to find ways to win games without hitting homers, especially for the postseason.
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But their hopes are now gone, as the Padres eliminated them in a disheartening sweep. Now, the Cubs have a lot of work to do this offseason to rebuild their starting rotation and bullpen while keeping the lineup in good shape.
This brutal statistic reveals just how shaky this Cubs team really was. Being over-reliant on home runs, like this Cubs team was the last two months, was a recipe for disaster. That came to a head in the postseason, as a poor offensive showing ended their season.
While Pete Crow-Armstrong will win the NL MVP in the not-so-distant future, the end of the 2026 season is a brutal indictment of the Cubs’ offense this season.
