The Chicago Cubs are gearing up for the final two series of the regular season, trying to position themselves well for the playoffs next week.
Chicago will begin a three-game series against the Miami Marlins at home, giving themselves a chance to stack some wins. The Cubs are fighting for playoff positioning in the National League wild-card race at the moment.
The Cubs are looking to claim the top spot in the wild-card race, which would give them home-field advantage for the series. Chicago has put together a strong season so far, and the group of players is looking to do some damage come playoff time.
But against the Marlins, the Cubs understand that Miami will be trying to play spoiler this week. Chicago will need to bring its A-game, making sure to take care of business at home before they go on the road for a tough series with the Boston Red Sox to close out the year.
Pete Crow-Armstrong Decision Announced Before Marlins Game
Ahead of the series opener with the Marlins, the Cubs have dropped the lineup for the contest. In this, Chicago will be hitting star outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong in the leadoff spot.
Crow-Armstrong has been electric this season, with the star being the favorite to win the NL MVP award.
Cubs 9/22
P. Crow-Armstrong CF
S. Suzuki RF
M. Busch 1B
M. Conforto DH
I. Happ LF
N. Hoerner 2B
P. Ramírez 3B
C. Kelly C
D. Swanson SSS. Imanaga SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 22, 2026
For the year, Crow-Armstrong has hit .280 with 45 home runs and 107 RBIs, while posting an OPS of .949. In all likelihood, the Cubs star will take home the MVP award, but he wants more for this team this season.
After being bounced out in the division series last year, the Cubs made a point to add to the roster, hoping for better results this time around. And if Crow-Armstrong has any say in how the Cubs’ postseason goes, this team will be going on a deep run.
Can Cubs Grab Top Wild-Card Spot?
The Cubs just took two of three games from the Cincinnati Reds, giving them some fuel heading into this series with Miami. But the team will need to end the year on a high note if they want to clinch a top wild-card spot.
Chicago is fighting the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies for the wild-card seeding, and it could go down to the final game of the year. But the Cubs understand where they are right now, with the team ready for whatever challenges come their way.
The Cubs did lose star Alex Bregman to multiple facial fractures after being struck by a foul ball over the weekend. However, Bregman is hopeful to return to the team soon, potentially before the playoffs.
“You never want to see that on the ball field. You can’t control any of that. It happened so fast,” Michael Busch said. “Any time [the ball] hits the head area, it’s scary. … You focus on the game, but it’s tough.”
Cubs Announce Pete Crow-Armstrong Move Before Marlins Series