Cubs vs Pirates Lineup: Can Wicks Impress? A Familiar Look, A Better Bregman, More

The Chicago Cubs are trying to do the unthinkable: A ten-game winning streak and a ten-game losing streak all in 30 days!

Game Info

Who: Chicago Cubs (29-25) at Pittsburgh Pirates (28-26)
Where: PNC Park
When: 5:45 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Chicago Cubs Lineup

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
2. Nico Hoerner, 2B
3. Michael Busch, 1B
4. Alex Bregman, 3B
5. Ian Happ, LF
6. Seiya Suzuki, RF
7. Moisés Ballesteros, DH
8. Carson Kelly, C
9. Dansby Swanson, SS

Cubs gave Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki the day off on Monday, but both are back in today playing their typical positions at second base and right field, respectively. Each is essential to a Cubs' offense that has cratered during their current nine-game losing streak. Suzuki is a catalyst for the Cubs success; he's one of the few bats in the North-Siders lineup that is relied on specifically for power, yet his slugging percentage of .194 over his last 10 games is severely lacking.

The return of both players also means that rookie Pedro Ramírez will sit after back-to-back starts. Fellow recent call-up Kevin Alcantara also remains out of the lineup again, and he has yet to see a start since joining the big league squad.

Michael Busch has shown signs of turning things around lately, hitting two home runs in his last two games. And don't look now, but Alex Bregman is starting to hit! Bregman has put up a slash line of .293/.370/.317 (3 BBs, 8 K's) in his last 10 games, but only one extra-base hit. Cubs manager Craig Counsell made it clear during Monday's postgame that the Cubs' offense should be seeing better results: "Offensively, we are equipped to be much more consistent than this."

One would hope, Craig!

Pittsburgh Pirates Lineup

1. Konnor Griffin, SS
2. Brandon Lowe, 2B
3. Bryan Reynolds, RF
4. Nick Gonzales, 3B
5. Oneil Cruz, CF
6. Marcell Ozuna, DH
7. Esmerlyn Valdez, RF
8. Spencer Horwitz, 1B
9. Henry Davis, C

On the Mound ...

Mar 15, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; Chicago Cubs pitcher Jordan Wicks (36) throws a pitch against the Hanshin Tigers during the eighth inning at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cubs - Jordan Wicks, LHP

The Cubs' starting rotation continues to deal with the injury bug, as Edward Cabrera has landed on the IL with a blister on his throwing hand. While the Cubs remain optimistic that Cabrera can return after this lone IL stint, they need fresh arms to eat innings for them badly.

Enter 26-year-old Jordan Wicks, who made his MLB debut in 2023 vs PIT (5.0 innings with 9 Ks). The southpaw will look to translate his very solid Iowa numbers to the MLB. With the Triple-A squad, Wicks posted a 4.44 ERA in 7 starts, which included 20 K's and 12 BBs in 26.1 IP.

His most recent starts have proven to be especially impressive, as he's given up only a single run over his last three starts.

Jordan Wicks was absolutely dominant in his final three starts with the @Iowa Cubs. 15 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 12 K.

He makes his first big-league start with Chicago tonight. Certainly ready.
— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) May 26, 2026

Wicks has struggled to find consistency at the MLB level, partially because his best pitch is his change-up, throwing it nearly 30 percent of the time in 2023 and 2024, per Baseball Savant. The former Kansas State product did see his fastball velocity jump up in 2025 from 92.5 to 94.4 MPH, but like many former prospects, he's struggled to efficiently develop a third pitch.

When Wicks is at his best, he's locating pitches in the bottom half of the strike zone and generating ground balls, with nearly a 50 percent ground ball rate (49.1 in 2025). If he can keep the ball on the ground and mix in another pitch (he's been featuring a sinker more in Iowa this season) along with his fastball and change-up, he may be able to keep a struggling Pirates lineup off balance. It also helps that only Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz have faced Wicks previously, and that was prior to him adding his sinker more regularly.

Pirates – Braxton Ashcraft, RHP

Braxton Ashcraft is another solid pitcher in the Pittsburgh rotation, featuring a fastball, curveball, slider, and sinker, topping out at 98.7 MPH in his most recent start vs St. Louis. On the year, Ashcraft has a 2.89 ERA and a 9.4 SO/9 – he's got the type of swing and miss stuff that typically gives the Cubs trouble.

He doesn't issue many walks either, with a 2.3 BB/9 rate and 65 Ks to only 16 BB walks. The Cubs will need to be looking for the fastball early, otherwise they'll have to make contact with Ashcraft's slider and curveball (41 of his 65 strikeouts have come on those pitches). All in all, not the guy you want to face for a get-right game!

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