It was a horrible offensive performance for the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres. The Padres shut down one of the best offensive teams in baseball in the process of sweeping the Cubs.
Now, some of the Cubs' top offensive players, such as Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman, are speaking out about the series, per Marquee Sports Network.
“I think this team showed a lot of heart and a lot of fight … but I would say, to start, I show up. I show up when it matters, in these games. I think that would help us immediately,” Crow-Armstrong said.
PCA was great in the regular season and could be the NL MVP. He hit .280 with a .943 OPS. He also had 45 home runs, 107 RBI, and stole 41 bases. In the playoffs, he was 0-for-7 with a walk and a stolen base. He also struck out four times in the series. He was not the only player to struggle in the series. Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson both went 0-for-6, while reaching base just twice and striking out three times combined. Nico Hoerner has the only RBI in the series, while going four for five. Meanwhile, Alex Bregman went 0-for-8 with four strikeouts.
Article Continues BelowBregman was asked about the season as a whole and described it in bleak terms.
“Look at it as a failure. Need to win,” Bregman said.
The Cubs eliminated the Padres from the playoffs in three games in 2025, before losing to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS in five games. The Cubs were expecting to make a step forward this year, but instead, focus moves to 2027, as the Padres are moving on.