CHICAGO (104.3 The Score) — Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson stepped his white high-top spikes along the third-base line and glanced around Wrigley Field early Thursday afternoon. The 11th Opening Day of his MLB career brought many familiar feelings.
There’s a pageantry that comes with the first of 162 regular-season games – a full crowd at Wrigley Field and renewed hopes for what’s to come. But for the 32-year-old Swanson, Opening Day was simply a marker on the calendar.
"The official kickoff to win a World Series,” Swanson said. “That’s every kid’s dream growing up. That’s all of our dreams when we step in this clubhouse.”
Opening Day dampened, for a bit, the collective spirit surrounding the Cubs, who fell 10-4 to the Nationals. Left-hander Matt Boyd was rocked for six earned runs and the Cubs stranded nine runners on base.
It wasn’t the Cubs’ day – but will this be their season?
A year ago, the Cubs broke through with 92 victories and won a playoff series for the first time in eight years. But the campaign was undercut by the Brewers, who won the NL Central and bounced the Cubs from the National League Division Series in five games.
Now, just getting to the postseason is hardly good enough. The Cubs are considered the favorites to win the division in 2026 and have hopes of winning the World Series.
Fangraphs gave the Cubs a 36.8% chance of winning the NL Central and a 2.9% chance of winning the World Series. Standing in the Cubs' way as it pertains to their title hopes are the two-time defending champion Dodgers, a modern baseball dynasty with a 24.7% chance to win a third consecutive title.
The Dodgers are certainly the team to beat once again in baseball, and the National League is loaded with stout contenders ready to strike a challenge. Still, there’s reason to believe in the Cubs.
Their signing of three-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman cemented their hopes for this season. The trade acquisition of right-hander Edward Cabrera addressed the need for starting pitching depth. And the bullpen is filled with quality veteran arms who manager Craig Counsell can count on.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer built the team with the goal of withstanding the 162-game journey of a regular season. There’s talent on the front lines and depth to persevere.
Beyond that, Counsell believes the Cubs have the right mindset.
"That’s the part that I, like, love about these guys, is that they really enjoy the marathon of it,” Counsell said. “And that’s really important in a baseball season. Like, the details, that’s how you rack up wins to me.
“Caring about the details every single day is something I think this team is good at – and we have to be good at that to put up a big win number.”
Last season, the Cubs held possession of first place into late July. Then the Brewers charged and never looked back. The consequence became clear in the end – the home team won each of the five games of the NLDS, capped by the Brewers’ decisive win in Milwaukee in Game 5.
That stuck with Hoyer throughout this offseason as he built the Cubs with the hope of a different result in 2026. It certainly remained with Swanson, who hung his head walking out of American Family Field after that playoff exit last October.
The Cubs are striving to take control in the regular season and then want to see what can happen in October. There will be a time to find out if the Cubs measure up against the likes of those vaunted Dodgers, but that will come down the line.
At the start of a new season, hope springs eternal. And the Cubs believe this is just the beginning of a chase for their championship goal.
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
The Cubs have World Series aspirations this season, but some daunting tests await.
