Emma: After an ugly exit, Cubs need to significantly adjust their core philosophies

Key Points:

• The Chicago Cubs' 2026 season ended with a two-game sweep by the Padres in the National League wild-card series, reflecting a disappointing and uneven 162-game campaign marked by organizational issues.
• The Cubs finished the regular season 89-73, underperforming their Pythagorean record and failing to reach the 90-win goal, with inconsistent stretches including a poor September and a 10-game losing streak balanced by two 10-game winning streaks.
• Despite leading MLB in runs per game, the Cubs' offense was inconsistent, and their pitching struggled, particularly with home runs allowed and a low strikeout rate, ranking 26th in strikeouts per nine innings.
• The team's bullpen strategy, relying on reclamation projects rather than investing in high-impact relievers, has left them without a dominant closer, a gap highlighted by their postseason struggles.
• Significant changes are needed in the Cubs’ baseball operations philosophy under president Jed Hoyer, including embracing platoons more, overhauling pitching strategies to emphasize strikeouts, and rethinking bullpen construction to build a more competitive team.