The Chicago Cubs’ outings in May have been filled with disappointment and uncertainty. They slid from 27-12 to 32-28 in just three weeks. Bruce Levine, baseball analyst on WSCR-AM and 670thescore.com, decided to give the team a reality check. 

“The Cubs are an average team right now,” Levine said on 104.3 The Score on June 1, 2026. “There’s no other way you can look at them. They’re not a bad team. They have the ability to step it up and play better baseball. The offense has stuttered along the way. The pitching in the long run is the main concern.”

Tied 4th in baseball’s toughest division—all five teams above .500—the Cubs can’t afford further slides. 

Only the Dodgers (2017) have matched the Cubs’ feat of two 10-game streaks and one 10-game loss. That’s why Levine isn’t convinced that they are a good team. But he isn’t implying the opposite either.

However, he reiterated that the pitching is their main concern. Notably, they have a 4.19 ERA this season, which puts them towards the middle of the league. But they have given away 82 HRs so far, and there’s only one team with a bigger number in 2026. That’s why Levine mentioned that “the home run ball, as we’ve talked about a lot, is impacting them.”

Jameson Taillon (5.37 ERA, 37 runs/11 starts) and Edward Cabrera (4.06 ERA, 29 runs/54 IP) anchor a struggling rotation. Matthew Boyd is expected to replace Jordan Wick, who carries a 15.63 ERA. But Boyd is currently in rehab with Triple-A Iowa, recovering from a torn meniscus in his left knee from early May. 

That’s why Levine said he isn’t concerned with the offense, but the “pitching has to step up.”

Recent numbers don’t agree with Levine’s optimism

If you look at the overall numbers, the Cubs are 10th in MLB with a .723 OPS this season. And they are 6th on the list with 284 runs scored so far. There’s plenty of reason for optimism with a +19 run differential. 

Unfortunately, the recent numbers are way worse. The Cubs have lost 12 of their 15 games. During the same slide, they recorded a slash line of .183/.289/.285. That .183 batting average ranks worst in MLB over that span. They also had a 0.574 OPS, the Cubs’ worst in that span and 46 points lower than the 2nd-worst Angels. 

They have won three of five games since then. Yet the situation hasn’t improved much. And the biggest concern is how the opponent pitchers continuously attack them with breaking balls. Unless the Cubs solve their breaking-ball problem quickly, offense — Levine’s only bright spot — could become their biggest liability.