Inside The Cubs

Chicago Cubs Still Hopeful Despite Abysmal Start

Despite an abysmal start to the 2023 MLB season, the Chicago Cubs are still hopeful they can turn the season around.

Kade Kistner

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
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The Chicago Cubs appeared to have built a playoff team in the offseason.

But that was all on paper.

The bitter reality shows a team with a 31-37 record, a slew of injuries and inconsistent play throughout.

Still, the division is up for grabs and the Cubs aren’t quitting.

“Anyone can still win it,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters. “No one has pulled away, or even pulled away from .500. And that's one of the challenges of evaluating your team, is that you're evaluating where you are in the standings, but you're also evaluating how you're performing.”

The trade deadline is creeping up and the Cubs can still tweak their roster.

A playoff berth remains well within reach.

“A lot happens in that time,” Hoyer said. “We have six more weeks to play to get a feel for where we are. I think we have to evaluate all of that. Obviously, given where we are in relation to .500, I think in a normal season, we'd be looking at a much steeper climb than we are right now.”

Dansby Swanson is a true professional.

So is Marcus Stroman.

You can say that about this group of Cubs.

Plain and simple, they haven’t played well. That has been a theme throughout Major League Baseball with a number of teams.

The new rules have been an adjustment.

The New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies have all scuffled at times.

In a weak division, the Cubs can win. They have the ability to play in October.

It’s time to start showing it, though.

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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