Alex Bregman has officially won the 2026 Rizzo Award, but the victory was far from a blowout. According to Bleed Cubbie Blue, the new third baseman finished with a score of +26, just a half point ahead of Pete Crow-Armstrong. This marks the closest finish in the entire 13-year history of the award. The race was so tight that fans could only guess the winner until the very end of the season.
The Numbers That Tell the Story
The final standings show a massive gap between the top performers and the rest of the roster. Bregman led all free agent signings with his +26 mark, proving he was the most impactful new addition. Per Bleed Cubbie Blue, Crow-Armstrong followed closely with +25.5 as the top returning player. Ben Brown sat at +13.5, while the legendary Ian Happ and Aaron Civale both finished with +10. The top ten list is packed with talent, but the battle for first place was a genuine nail-biter.
At the other end of the spectrum, the bottom of the list tells a different story about the team’s struggles. Nico Hoerner finished with -18, while Dansby Swanson landed at -17. Seiya Suzuki also ended up at -17, joining the group of players who had a rough season. The data shows a clear divide between the heroes who carried the team and the goats who dragged it down. Even the best teams have players who simply cannot find their footing when it matters most.
Why the Playoffs Changed Everything
The regular season heroics did not translate into a deep playoff run for the Cubs. The team was swept by the Padres in the Wild Card series, ending the season with barely a whimper. Bleed Cubbie Blue noted that the Cubs looked completely overmatched over those two days.
Despite the loss, the regular season data suggests the team was built to hit home runs. For almost the whole year, the roster stayed close to the top of the home run leaders. However, the playoffs exposed a lack of pitching depth that the regular season stats could not hide. The Padres had a clear plan and executed it perfectly against Cubs starter Matthew Boyd. They swung early and often, recognizing strikes and punishing mistakes. The Cubs needed a pitcher who could go seven innings against a good offense, and they simply did not have one.
Bregman’s regular season success stands as a bright spot in an otherwise painful year. His +26 score proves he was the right choice for the club, even if the playoffs did not go as planned. The question now is whether the team can build on this individual success or if the roster needs a complete overhaul. The numbers do not lie about who helped the most, but the final score of the season remains the same. The Cubs are back to square one.
