Once Favored To Win The NL Central, Cubs Chances Drop 89% Since All-Star Break

The struggles of the Chicago Cubs' offense have resulted in the NL Central slipping away from them.

May 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell is interviewed by reporters prior to a game against the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have started up a key series against the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers to begin the week with the hope of building some momentum. 

It has been a tough stretch of late for the Cubs in the second half of the season. This was a team that was one of the best in the league in the first half of the year but has come way back to the rest of the pack. 

Early on, Chicago was led by one of the best offenses in all of baseball. This unit was hitting for average, running the bases, and scoring a lot of runs. Unfortunately, the unit has cooled off, resulting in some struggles. 

Should Cubs Have Done More?

David Banks-Imagn Images

At the trade deadline, the Cubs had the assets to make a significant splash to improve what was a team heading in the wrong direction. However, they elected not to do that, and the team might regret that. 

Thomas Harrigan of MLB recently wrote about the significant change in the NL Central standings and the Cubs now having just a seven percent chance of winning the division after that number being at 64.1 percent at the All-Star break. 

It has certainly been quite the story in the second half of the season for the rise of the Milwaukee Brewers and the fall of the Chicago Cubs. A lot of credit does have to go to the Brewers, who have been the hottest team in baseball and have featured a double-digit game-winning streak during this stretch. 

The Cubs are to blame a bit as well for the division slipping out of their hands. The offense for Chicago was one of the best in the league in the first half of the season, averaging over five runs per game. However, they have been under four runs per game in the second half of the campaign, resulting in the struggles. 

Will Stars Snap out of It?

Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

This is a team that relied quite a bit on their offense in the first half of the season, with the unit being one of the best in baseball. The duo of Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong were both NL MVP candidates at the time. However, both are now ice cold, and there is some panic about when they will snap out of it. 

Unfortunately, with just a seven percent chance of winning the NL Central, it seems like the Cubs will be destined for a Wild Card spot if they are going to make the postseason.