Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman disappeared when the Cubs needed them most

Jordan Campbell of Cubbies Crib writes that Chicago Cubs stars Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman struggled significantly during their Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres. Both players went hitless in eight plate appearances, recording four strikeouts each across the two-game series, contributing to the Cubs' offensive collapse.

Campbell highlights that Bregman was playing while still recovering from multiple facial fractures despite a strong regular-season finish. The writer argues that without offensive production from at the top of the lineup from Crow-Armstrong and Bregman, Chicago lacked a reliable path to postseason success.