5 Questions I Need Answered in Wild Card Series

Have you ever suffered a bruised heel? I somehow managed to whack my left heel with my backswing during a softball game on Sunday night, and I’ve been hobbling around in pain ever since. Dansby Swanson was laid low by one in his left foot in July of 2023, his first season with the Cubs, which forced him to miss the All-Star Game and resulted in just the third IL stint of his career. The second had come four years earlier from the same issue, though in his right foot.

Maybe it’s a Cubs shortstop thing, as Javier Báez dealt with a right heel bruise on May 19, 2019 and a left heel bruise on July 25, 2021. Báez somehow managed to avoid the IL both times, which is incredible to me given what I’m dealing with. It’s also quite fortunate for the Cubs, as they were able to trade him to the Mets just five days after that second incident. Hey, how did that turn out for the Mets?

I will never get tired of dogging that franchise, and it certainly helps that both Pete Crow-Armstrong and Pete Alonso had outstanding seasons for other teams. Both of them played in every game and led their respective leagues in home runs while scoring at least 100 runs and driving in at least 107. Hilarious.

Then you had David Stearns, who runs baseball operations in Queens after a successful run in Milwaukee, spouting all kinds of nonsense during his end-of-season press conference on Monday. Even with the general trend toward nerds in front offices, Stearns stands out. If the GM Meetings were a meeting of Adams College’s Lambda Lambda Lambda chapter, Stearns would be Lewis Skolnick.

Ed. note: Did you know that Revenge of the Nerds is not available on any streaming services or digital storefronts, even for rent or purchase? Oddly enough, what was considered totally normal raunchy humor in 1984 is highly objectionable content by today’s standards.

While the Tri-Lambs managed to succeed against all odds against foes who were bigger, stronger, and more established on campus, the Mets finished three games below the Nationals for last place in the NL East despite a massive payroll. Stearns lamented how “We and I made a number of decisions that created the potential for an uncapped downside scenario,” an admission that should have seen him fired on the spot.

I mean, it’s one thing to own your failures after the fact and quite another to admit that the potential for limitless failure was there from the beginning. The whole point of spending all that money is to guarantee a base level of success. Setting aside the fact that normal people don’t talk like Stearns does, which can be alienating in and of itself, he’s some kind of wizard if he remains employed in the wake of his reckless stewardship of owner Steve Cohen’s money.

That brings us back around to the Cubs, who weren’t nearly as disappointing as the Mets (even if some fans might argue otherwise). Though they have no one to blame but themselves for failing to secure the top Wild Card spot, it’s reasonable to believe they’d have been in a much different position were it not for a rash of injuries that took out at least two of their would-be postseason starters.

There’s no point in litigating what might have been with a healthy Cade Horton, Ben Brown, and Justin Steele in the fold, but we can still ask what will happen moving forward. And since this heel thing has me feeling a bit lazier than usual, I figured it’d be easiest to set up a few prompts for myself.

Who’s starting after Matthew Boyd?

I addressed this in the brief piece about Boyd getting the nod for Game 1, and the short answer is that I don’t think it really matters. Though I remain concerned about Shōta Imanaga starting a postseason game, it’s not as though Craig Counsell will be counting on him to go eight innings. Whether it’s Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, or David Peterson, the leash will be relatively short.

Jim Deshaies, who postponed hip surgery in order to call the Cubs/Padres series for NBC/Peacock, noted during a recent Marquee broadcast that he’d like to see Peterson take the bump for a start. I tend to agree based on recent performance, but both Peterson and Holmes are also familiar with relief roles. That could factor in Counsell’s decisions on who pitches when.

Between that and only pitching one inning on Sunday, it seems like Imanaga is being set up to start one of the next two games. That becomes pretty much a lock if Kevin Gausman can’t go by Wednesday. If he can, he figures to take one of the others. Regardless, these could be situations in which the starter is only facing the opposing lineup once.

Can PCA carry a playoff team?

The short answer is yes, but the NL MVP still has plenty of doubters after he struggled in the postseason against the Padres last year. Even though he shouldn’t have to prove anything, putting his stamp on this series would put a nice exclamation point on his season.

Can the Cubs win with small ball?

This isn’t as easy to answer in the affirmative, because we just saw them lose four of five games because they only scored nine total runs in that stretch. Home runs are great, but the Cubs can’t depend on them to provide the offense. I would like to see them being aggressive on the bases and looking to take advantage of every opportunity in a park that tends to stifle power.

Who steps up as a surprise hero?

I like Swanson and Michael Busch. PCA and Alex Bregman can and should be the pair that powers this team’s success, but getting a dinger or two from Busch — who hit fewer home runs than in either of the last two years despite getting at least 118 more PAs — would provide a huge spark. Swanson’s glove at short makes this a team that can win with defense alone, provided they can score a run.

How will we view this season if the Cubs lose?

I feel as though most people, at least on Facebook, will immediately jump to failure. And though that’s perfectly valid based on expectations, I think it’s also important to acknowledge everything the Cubs overcame just to get this far. Getting to 89 wins and a postseason berth after all those injuries is actually pretty impressive. On the other hand, the bullpen was a known issue that wasn’t addressed well enough.

And just like in 1984, it’s possible we could see a breakout MVP season capped by a loss to the Padres in the postseason. That would certainly be disappointing. This season had plenty of fun moments, from the pair of 10-game win streaks to the 13 walk-off victories to PCA’s frequent heroics. Seeing Bregman bust out in the second half and then come back after being busted up was also very cool.

Still, I don’t know that we can call 2026 a success unless the Cubs win at least two more games. That doesn’t mean it’ll be a total failure if they lose to San Diego, but I’ll say meh at best.

Feel free to provide your own answers or to ask a few questions of your own in the comments below.