Three days in February. Magical dates for baseball fans. Mesa, Arizona. It’s go time.
Between Feb. 10 and Feb. 13, pitchers and catchers report for spring training. With the 2026 National Football League season coming to a close, many sports fans are looking forward to America’s pastime—baseball. The Chicago Cubs will return to the field and begin preparations in Arizona.
Spring training is important because it is the first time players practice together as a full team, often alongside new teammates. Players strengthen their bond as pitchers throw daily bullpens and catchers learn the movement of each pitcher’s repertoire.
According to Stadium Journey, the Chicago Cubs moved to Sloan Park in 2014, where it has remained their spring training home for 12 years. Most players have arrived and have begun full-team workouts and practices. Spring training is an ideal time for players to develop chemistry with their teammates for the upcoming regular season.
One new player selected by the Cubs was third baseman Alex Bregman, who signed a 5-year, $175 million contract with the team. Last year, the Cubs had one of the best defensive records of the baseball season, but their offense struggled at times.
“Expect the Cubs to go all the way because of their great management,” junior Benjamin McNiel said.
Gold Gloves fill the field, with Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field, Nico Horner at second paired with Dansby Swanson at short, Ian Happ in left, Michael Busch at first, and Alex Bregman at third. Defense this year will not be a problem, and neither will the bats. The Cubs won the Team Gold Glove Award last year, according to Rawlings.
Offensively, Hoerner led the team with a .300 batting average last season and excelled with runners on base. Bregman should be a nice addition to the team as well, because while he does hit the long ball, he is a very good contact hitter. According to Baseball Reference, he hit .273 last season, which is respectable in today’s game. Busch and Seiya Suzuki will bring the long ball, providing additional power. Happ had a down year offensively, so if the Cubs hope to compete for the division, they will need a rebound season from him.
“I’m looking forward to hopefully another good season, even though we lost King Tucker, we should still get pretty far with our current team and PCA,” junior Noah Case said.
Breakout player of the year?
Cade Horton.
At the start of last season, Horton got called up around mid-May and started a little shaky, but got control of his game after the All-Star break. According to Yahoo Sports, Horton had a .84 ERA with 46K to 28 hits. For a rookie pitcher, that is phenomenal, and a lot should be expected of him this year.
For the Cubs to be successful this year, the pitching staff will have to pull their weight and stay consistent. Last year, games slipped away because of inconsistent pitching performances. With a roster capable of competing for the division, expectations remain high.
“I have been a Cubs fan for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching games with my grandparents and my dad on WGN,” AVID teacher Nicole Stadler said. “I also have many fond memories of going to Wrigley with my family, both as a kid and now as an adult.”
