Cubs Notes: Top Prospect Primed for Debut, PCA's 2026 Season, Counsell's Sweet Moment

There are just 20 days until the Cubs play their first game of the 2026 MLB season, a home game at Wrigley against the Washington Nationals.

As Craig Counsell fine-tunes his team for the remainder of Spring Training, plenty of storylines are starting to emerge. And while there is no doubt about some roster positions, others remain questionable.

Yesterday, the Cubs beat the Diamondbacks 8-1. Today, Chicago will take the field against the Padres.

Here are the latest Cubs stories to catch up on.

Cubs notes

Pete-Crow Armstrong's 2026 Season Prediction - The MLB analysts over at ESPN dropped their list of the 100 best players in baseball, with Pete Crow-Armstrong sitting in the No. 22 spot. But along with his placement on the list, Jesse Rogers also provided a prediction for PCA's season.

“The baseball world is wondering who the real PCA is,” Rogers wrote. “The easy answer is he's somewhere between who he was in the first half of last season and the second half. Vowing to get on more this season, he will steal 50 bases and hit 20 home runs.”

Last season, Crow-Armstrong hit 31 home runs and stole 35 bases.

Jaxon Wiggins in Prime Position to Make MLB Debut - The Cubs have plenty of pitching depth heading into the 2026 season after the lesson they learned in 2025. But should the team encounter an unforeseen absence, Cubs insider Bruce Levine knows exactly who the team will call upon.

“Wiggins is, you know, certainly the first big pitcher that's going to come from Triple-A this year for the Cubs,” Levine said Thursday on The Score. “So if there's injury issues, if there's issues with people not getting the job done, Wiggins is the guy they're looking at, and he's going to start at Triple-A.”

Craig Counsell's Heartwarming Moment vs Diamondbacks - Cubs manager Craig Counsell had a heartwarming and surprise family moment during their Spring Training game against the Diamondbacks on Thursday when his son, Brady. represented Arizona in the pregame lineup swap.

A pair of Counsells exchanging lineup cards before this Cactus League game, manager Craig Counsell for the Cubs and his son Brady for the Diamondbacks.

Brady Counsell was Arizona’s 10th round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. pic.twitter.com/iaziBN2TZM
— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) March 5, 2026

Brady came into the game in the seventh inning, drawing one walk in his first at-bat in the Cubs' 8-1 victory.

Jed Hoyer Explains Why the Cubs Targeted Cabrera - Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer recently spoke with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman and revealed why Chicago were so keen on Cabrera.

"I felt like we had a very contact oriented pitching staff," Hoyer said. "Our defense helps that, but, you know, we don't have that kind of stuff in our rotation other than Cade Horton. So he fit that well. Our pitching guys have long be enamored with him and getting a chance to work with him. And it's three years of control. I think that was a significant factor. His age and the control"

Edward Cabrera | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

How to watch the Cubs in the World Baseball Classic Pool Play Games - If you're looking to follow the 12 Cubs players partaking in the World Baseball Classic, here are the dates, times, and where you can find every game they play in.

Hoyer Also Admits What's Keeping Him Up At Night - In the same interview, Hoyer was asked what keeps him up at night. Without hesitation, he revealed it's pitching.

"As far as what keeps me up at night, it's always the same thing now, it's just pitching." Hoyer went on to say that the game has changed and with the uptick in injuries, you can no longer simply rely on your top five starters. Now, your ninth and 10th are just as important in getting the team through the entire season.