Off The Ivy: A Chicago Cubs Podcast

The Chicago Cubs got back in the win column—but not without some concerning news. Justin Steele has suffered a setback in his return to the mound when Craig Counsell announced he was diagnosed with a flexor strain, raising new questions about the timeline for one of the Cubs’ most important arms. On top of that, Dansby Swanson exited last night’s game with a left glute injury, leaving fans holding...

Moises Ballesteros delivered the highlight of the game with a MASSIVE grand slam off Randy Vazquez —a moment Cubs fans won’t forget anytime soon. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as the Chicago Cubs fell short against the San Diego Padres, dropping their third straight game. Matthew Boyd did not have a good start plus the Cubs strategically did not use the ABS challenge system correctly early i...

The Chicago Cubs’ red-hot 10-game winning streak finally came to an end this weekend with back-to-back losses to drop the series in Los Angeles. After one of their best stretches of the season, the Cubs ran into a tough Los Angeles Dodgers squad and dropped the series with two non-competive losses. In this episode, we break down what went wrong for the Cubs, key moments that shifted the series, th...

Behind clutch home runs from Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki, the Cubs secured their 9th straight win and completed a statement sweep over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cubs have now compiled back-to-back sweeps to improve to 16-9 as they head out west to Los Angeles for a mega matchup against the Dodgers. The power at the plate continues to show up in big moments, and this team is finding every p...

Behind big-time power from Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki, the Cubs powered their way to an 8th straight win, continuing one of the hottest streaks in baseball. The offense showed up in a big way, with 13 hits that completely shifted the momentum and put the game out of reach pretty early in the Cubs 7-2 win at Wrigley Field. In this episode, Dan, Matt, and Cody break down the key moments from the...

Shota Imanaga continues to be everything the Chicago Cubs hoped for and more entering 2026 as he helped lead the Chicago Cubs to its seventh straight win last night at Wrigley Field in the Northside's 7-4 win. The left-hander delivered another dominant performance on the mound, setting the tone early and never letting up as the Cubs rolled. With pinpoint command, smart pitch sequencing, and the po...

The Cubs secured their SIXTH straight win thanks to elite defense and a dominant performance on the mound from Colin Rea. From web gems in the field to shutting things down on the rubber, this was a complete team win that shows just how dangerous this squad can be when everything is clicking. We break down Rea’s outing, the defensive highlights that changed the game, and what this streak means for...

Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner helped led the Chicago Cubs to a statement series win AND sweep this weekend the New York Mets. Happ delivered in the biggest moments, showcasing his power and leadership at the plate, while Hoerner set the tone with elite defense, clutch hitting, and nonstop energy and most importantly, the game-winning sac-fly to secure the series sweep on Sunday. Together, they sparked...

The Cubs head to New York for a weekend showdown with the Mets. Chicago is trying to build momentum early in the season, while the Mets are looking to prove they’re still contenders in a competitive NL landscape. Cody, Dan, and Matt Preview this weekend series at Wrigley Field. They also discuss the Cubs pitching depth and injuries sustained right now and debate the modern-day game and the league...

Nico Hoerner and Shota Imanaga came up big in the series finale, taking down the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night. All season long, Hoerner set the tone and it continued in Philadelphia—coming through with clutch hits, smart base running, and elite defense that made a difference in every inning. Whether it was sparking rallies at the top of the lineup or delivering in key moments, he was t...

The Chicago Cubs brought the bats and the energy in a huge 10-4 win over the Phillies last night! It was a breakout performance from Pete Crow-Armstrong, who continues to show why he’s one of the most exciting young players in the game, putting together a two-hit game, making an impact on the bases and showing why he's so valuable on defense. Michael Busch also had a night to remember, delivering...

In this episode, Dan, Cody, and Matt break down Kyle Schwarber’s massive 2-homer night against his former team and why performances like this continue to sting for Cubs fans. From his departure years ago to becoming one of the most dangerous power hitters in baseball, Schwarber’s success only shines a brighter light on one of Jed Hoyer’s most criticized decisions. Was non-tendering Schwarber a nec...

The Chicago Cubs salvaged the weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with plenty of standout moments and clutch performances on Sunday in the Cubs 7-6 victory. Game 1 set the tone with strong pitching from Shota Imanaga but the Cubs offense failed to score a run. In Game 2, things got more intense as both teams battled back and forth. Big hits and momentum swings kept this one close, but t...

Let's chat about Nico Hoerner. We’ve seen the defense. The contact hitting. The baseball IQ. But what’s his true ceiling ? Are we looking at an All-Star caliber second baseman? A Gold Glove mainstay? Or do you think there’s another level he hasn’t reached yet? In this episode, we take more questions from fans of the podcast, preview the weekend series with the Pirates, Seiya Suzuki's return, Ian H...

The Chicago Cubs take the series against the Tampa Bay Rays with a complete team effort, highlighted by standout performances from Colin Rea, Nico Hoerner, and Michael Conforto! Colin Rea set the tone on the mound, delivering a strong and composed outing to keep the Rays’ offense in check. Nico Hoerner continued to be the engine at the top of the lineup, coming through with timely hits and smart b...

The Cubs picked up a big 9-2 win over the Rays, but it came with some tough news on the pitching front. Cade Horton is set to undergo elbow surgery, a significant setback that could impact the Cubs’ long-term plans on the mound. In the meantime, Javier Assad stepped up in a big way, delivering a strong performance and helping stabilize the rotation when the team needed it most. His outing set the...

The Chicago Cubs have a couple of concerning injury updates. As reported by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers this morning, Cade Horton recently underwent an MRI, and it "was not clean and not good." Horton is scheduled to visit Dr. Keith Meister in Texas for further evaluation. While full details are still emerging, any setback for Horton is worth watching closely given his importance to the team’s future plan...

The Chicago Cubs dropped two out of three games to the Cleveland Guardians this weekend, falling short in a tough series that had its ups and downs. After a promising start in Sunday's doubleheader, the Cubs couldn’t keep the momentum going, struggling to deliver in key moments offensively and bullpen's inability to hold the lead in the end gave the Guardians the series win. In this episode, Dan,...

Chicago Cubs fans got some scary news as Cade Horton exited his start early with right forearm discomfort during a matchup against the Cleveland Guardians. After throwing just a handful of pitches in the second inning, Horton signaled to the dugout and was pulled immediately—raising serious concerns about his health moving forward. The team has already indicated he’ll undergo further evaluation, a...

In this mailbag episode, Dan, Matt, and Cody dive into your questions submitted on Twitter/X about everything going on with the Cubs right now. We start with the big issue in right field — how the lineup is holding up without Seiya Suzuki and what options the team really has moving forward. From there, we get into some early concerns about Shota Imanaga and whether there’s any reason to worry abou...

The Chicago Cubs defeated the Los Angeles Angels 6–2 on Wednesday to clinch the series victory, two games to one, before heading out of town. The Cubs will begin a three-game series in Cleveland on Thursday against the Guardians, who sit at 4–3 on the young season. Matthew Boyd was dominant in his second start of the year, striking out 10 batters and allowing no runs over 5.2 innings pitched. Nico...

The Cubs fall at home to the Angels, dropping Game 2 by a 2–0 final. José Soriano was dominant on the mound for Los Angeles, while Jameson Taillon turned in a solid first outing of the 2026 season for Chicago. A pair of tough plays from two elite Cubs defenders—Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong—proved costly and led directly to both Angels runs. Looking ahead to the series finale, Matthew Boyd...

Edward Cabrera dazzled in his Cubs debut at Wrigley Field, tossing six dominant innings and allowing just one hit as Chicago cruised to a 7–2 victory. The Cubs evened their record at 2–2 on the young season and will look to build momentum in Game 2 against the Angels, with José Soriano set to take the mound for Los Angeles. Jameson Taillon makes his season debut for Chicago in the matchup. Around...

0:00 Washington Series 18:20 Nico's Numbers 20:25 Jason Heyward The Chicago Cubs dropped their Opening Series at Wrigley Field, falling 6–3 to the Washington Nationals and losing the three-game set 2–1. While questions remain about the starting rotation and early offensive consistency, there’s no reason to panic—this Cubs team is built to win north of 90 games in 2026. One thing is already clear:...

With Nico Hoerner officially locked in on a contract extension, the Cubs are doubling down on one of their most reliable, underrated stars. But what does this move really mean for the direction of the franchise? In this episode, Cody and Dan break down what we know about the extension and why it matters more than you might think. They cover: Why Nico Hoerner is so valuable to this team What this d...