With the Chicago Cubs in the midst of spring training to prepare for the 2026 season, there is no doubt high expectations for the ball club after what was a successful year in 2025. As new Cubs star Alex Bregman highlights the offseason additions for the team, owner Tom Ricketts would speak more about the expectations the team has, especially when it comes to the World Series.
Speaking on Chicago's first day of full-squad workouts, Ricketts would be asked about the aspirations the team has this season, saying that due to the success in 2025, the stakes are higher. The same sentiments would be echoed by Ricketts, mentioning how it's helped by “a couple key components” that have been added, with Bregman being the obvious reference.
“Everyone had high expectations last year, and I think they’re higher this year,” Ricketts said, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. “I mean, obviously, we have effectively the same team as last year, plus a couple key components that should contribute. So, I would expect everyone to have higher expectations this year.”
There's no denying that Bregman was one of the hottest names in the offseason market as he ended up not returning to his former team, the Boston Red Sox, to take a five-year, $175 million contract.
The Cubs should win the NL Central in 2026, per Tom Ricketts
While the Cubs didn't sign Tatsuya Imai, the team would trade for Miami Marlins pitcher Edward Cabrera and re-sign Shota Imanga, among other moves. Ricketts would continue by saying that Chicago “should win” the NL Central.
“It’s just a matter of executing, staying healthy, and I think we should be right there,” Ricketts said, via The Athletic. “You want to win the division for a lot of reasons, not just because it’s aggravating not to. But you want to put yourself in the best position for the playoffs as well. And so, hopefully we’ll execute against that plan and be there at the end of the season.”
The Cubs look to further improve after finishing with a 92-70 record, which put them second in the division.
