The 2026 Chicago Cubs season marks the franchise's 155th overall, 151st in the National League, and 111th at Wrigley Field, as they compete in the NL Central. Coming off a strong 2025 campaign (92–70) where they won the top wild card and beat the Padres in the Wild Card Series before falling to the Brewers in the Division Series, the Cubs entered 2026 with high expectations. Key early storylines included Matthew Boyd being named the Opening Day starter, Seiya Suzuki starting the season on the injured list due to a knee injury from the World Baseball Classic, and Pete Crow-Armstrong signing a contract extension. The team opened with a 10–4 loss to the Nationals on March 26, but rebounded with a 10–2 win behind Cade Horton and homers from Ian Happ and Miguel Amaya, while Alex Bregman hit his first two homers as a Cub in a 6–3 loss. After splitting that series, they took two of three from the Angels, highlighted by Edward Cabrera's six shutout innings on March 30 and Ian Happ homering in three straight games, moving to 3–3. In early April, they lost a game in Cleveland when Cade Horton left with forearm soreness, but Edward Cabrera dominated a doubleheader on April 5, allowing just one hit in 5.2 innings.