Projected Cubs Starters: Who's Pitching in Second-to-Last Series of the Season?

Six more games stand between the Chicago Cubs and a second consecutive playoff berth.

Their first series will be against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field before they head out East for a regular-season series finale in Boston. While their magic number for a postseason appearance may sit at a mere one game, every contest matters with Wild Card seeding on the line.

Likewise, this next week will be Craig Counsell's last time to evaluate his starting rotation and look to finalize a playoff rotation. After an active trade deadline, the Cubs find themselves with a decently long list of options, but these upcoming performances will likely help determine who gets the call.

September 22 – Shota Imanaga

Sep 4, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Shota Imanaga will be the first to take the mound back at Wrigley Field, and questions undoubtedly remain about his potential playoff workload. To his credit, Imanaga's last few outings have been borderline excellent. He has given up a combined 4 earned runs with 16 strikeouts, and he's done it while going at least 6.0 innings in each contest.

Imanaga's previous outing against the Braves was particularly encouraging. He struck out eight batters in the game alone while holding them to a single run on four hits. And, in typical Imanaga fashion, he didn't walk a single batter.

What might be the most telling stat for Imanaga, however, is that he has given up one home run over the last three starts. While that may not sound like a miraculous accomplishment to some, it undoubtedly is for Imanaga. August featured two games with three homers, and he ended the month giving up nine total. Forking over the long ball is arguably the biggest reason why the Cubs might be hesitant to give him a playoff start.

Nevertheless, if Imanaga can keep this recent production going on Tuesday, Craig Counsell will feel even better about where things stand heading into the Wild Card round. The southpaw will be up against Janson Junk, who has a 4.50 ERA on the year and held the Cubs to just a single run on three hits a couple of weeks back.

September 23 – Kevin Gausman

Sep 9, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Kevin Gausman (12) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Cubs are still looking for more consistency from their biggest trade deadline acquisition.

When Kevin Gausman is on, he looks like arguably the Cubs' best option come postseason time. When he's off, expect things to get pretty ugly.

Gausman is only two games removed from allowing 6 earned runs to the Milwaukee Brewers in 4.0 innings of work. He allowed eight hits in that outing, three of which were home runs. Go back four games, and Gausman allowed a similar 5 earned runs on six hits, two of which were long balls. Following each of those performances, however, was a pitching gem!

All things considered, it does make for a somewhat scary situation come playoff time. But the Cubs also acquired Gausman for his ability to rise to the occasion. He did it only a year ago when the Toronto Blue Jays stormed to the World Series.

Even though it may not be playoff time just yet, this final week is a perfect time for him to prove he can string together back-to-back strong outings. He held the Braves to a mere 2 earned runs and struck out six batters on September 15. The veteran will now face a Miami team that is 31-47 on the road and that has the seventh-fewest homers in baseball.

September 24 – TBA

Sep 19, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell (11) signals to the bullpen during a pitching change in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Once again, the Chicago Cubs have refused to name a pitcher for the series finale. This is the same approach they took heading into their meeting with the Reds, only for them to go with David Peterson in his typical spot.

It's possible that the Cubs look to use this spot as a rest day, especially if they lock up a playoff spot and gain small ground in the Wild Card race early in the series. However, it's also not out of the question that Counsell decided to stick with the status quo. This would mean that Clay Holmes takes the bump for the last time in the regular season.

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