Alex Bregman Does in One Game What Cubs 3B Didn’t Do Until Last Year’s All-Star Break

It hasn't been the start that the Chicago Cubs were looking for to kick off their season, as they dropped their first series of 2026 to the Washington Nationals.

Despite the pair of losses, it's important to look at the positives moving forward, one of which is the new face playing third base: Alex Bregman.

Bregman took over the position from the young gun, Matt Shaw, who has now moved into a super utility role. In 2025, Shaw didn't have a stellar first half, hitting under .200 and slugging .280 before the All-Star break. By the time the break rolled around, Shaw had only hit two homers.

Bregman hit two in one game during the opening weekend.

Alex Bregman has his first home run as a member of the Chicago @Cubs 👏 pic.twitter.com/iocQR7q1wC
— MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2026

It was Shaw's first time playing in the majors, so he deserves a lot of grace. However, Chicago has built a roster ready to win now, and the addition of Bregman was a no-brainer for Jed Hoyer and is already paying off.

The Cubs are already starting to reap the benefits of their long-term contract with Bregman, and he will be a key piece to this team making a deep run in October. They need offensive production, and Bregman is delivering.

Shaw's issue finding his swing in 2025

It wasn't the call-up that Shaw, or the Cubs, were hoping for right off the bat. He was struggling so much that there was serious talk about dealing him away at the trade deadline. But, keeping him on the roster truly paid off.

Apparently, the threat of a trade sparked life into him as his OPS grew from .556 to .839. He might have only hit two homers before the All-Star break, but he had 11 after, and his slugging percentage shot up to .522.

Game 3 against the Nats

Starting pitcher Jake Irvin handled business against most of the hitting lineup, just not Bregman. He held the team to a .158 batting average and retired seven batters. But in the fourth inning, he gave up a 400-foot homer to Bregman on a cutter.

Bregman drops his bat to run to first in a white Cubs unifor — Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman (3) homers during the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Chicago found themselves down 6-2 by the time the eighth inning rolled around, and truly, the only bat that showed up was Bregman. He hit his second long ball of the day on a 97 MPH fastball at the top of the box.

By the end of the game, the Nationals' pitching staff held the Cubs to four measly hits; Bregman had half of them. Again, it wasn't an ideal way to kick off the season, but the team is ready to bounce back in their next series against the Los Angeles Angels.