Best of the Cubs: Ron Coomer previews the 2026 season
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What are Ron Coomer's insights on the Cubs' 2026 season?
Glad to have you on, Coom. How's it going?
I'm doing great, Gabe. Thanks for having me on. I'm looking forward to this all summer long. And we're getting ready to get games started for real. So spring has been good, but now it's time to start playing for real.
That it is. And, you know, Ron, when you're looking at this rotation, obviously what it is in the present isn't going to be what it is midseason and moving forward, obviously with the injection of certain talents, specifically a guy like Justin Steele. But when you look at the rotation in its current iteration, which of those arms do you feel like gives you the most confidence when looking at this Cubs team?
Well, I think there's, you know, I have a lot of confidence in the whole rotation, to be honest with you. When your last guy or two, you know, are veteran pitchers that have thrown the ball exceptionally well, and then, you know, the sixth spot in the rotation that, you know, isn't going to pitch right away in the rotation is Colin Ray, who had a three ZRA last year in it. and really knows what he's doing. So the rotation's one of those things that's really solid for the Cubs. I think when you start looking at arms, Cade Horton is probably one of the more elite guys in our game right now. He's a guy that, great stuff, his last outing here in spring training, he had 10 punch-outs today. great cutting fastball, you know, and then, you know, the guy that's going to start opening day and Matthew Boyd is, you know, the exact opposite of him with the back and forth, but they have some really good arms, Cabrera being another one with a great arm, so, you know, J-Mo, this is a good group, man, and I think even Angus is going to throw the ball well, too, so I don't know if there's one guy, I mean, arm-wise, you know, Kate Horton probably stands out, but
Which pitchers in the Cubs' rotation offer the most confidence?
This is a deep, deep section of the team, and that's really good to have a deep rotation. Coom, I completely agree in terms of how important the rotation piece of this is. We all have the lingering memory of what happened in the division series last year against the Brewers. I'm curious as to your thoughts with Matthew Boyd being the opening day starter. Kate Horton would have been my choice. I understand why they made the decision that they did. Are you concerned at all, though, about Jamison Tyone and what he has said after some really recent struggles in terms of having his throwing, pitching, being where he wants it heading into the regular season? I'm not overly concerned. I hope he's not overly concerned.
I watched him pitch in the World Baseball Classic after two outings. He was in one or two outings with the Cubs. I don't know if it was a backfield time. I saw him throw and he got banged around a little bit. Um, and both of those outings with the Cubs, then he went to the world baseball classic. We were pitching for team Canada and I watched that game on TV and he was lights out. You know, everything was where, you know, when he's at his best, what he was doing, his backdoor slider was outstanding. The lefties, he was able to get the ball in on the right hander with that cover. Also, um, So those games, that was not an exhibition. That was for real, right? I mean, those guys were playing for their country, and he was really good against a good ball club.
So I think they were playing Dominican that day. But I'm not concerned about Jamal. You know, spring training is different for different players. And when you're a veteran player that's been around a long time, spring training is different than somebody who's, you know, maybe in their second year. or third spring training ever. So very different situations for different guys.
Talking to Ron Coomer here on 104.3 The Score, Gabe Ramirez, along with Marshall Harris from the afternoon show. Check him out, 10-2. We're talking to Ron Coomer, voice of the Chicago Cubs. You mentioned spring training being different for different people. And it's actually a perfect segue to my next question. Obviously, last time out, Edward Cabrera struggled a little bit, but pitchers are working on certain things.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What are Ron Coomer's insights on the Cubs' 2026 season?
0:00–1:55
2
Which pitchers in the Cubs' rotation offer the most confidence?
1:55–5:47
3
What are the expectations for rookie Moises Ballesteros this season?
5:47–11:31
4
How can designated hitters impact the Cubs' lineup strategy?
11:31–14:06
5
What concerns exist regarding Jameson Taillon's performance?
14:06–20:12
6
What adjustments is Taillon making to improve his pitching?
20:12–26:08
7
How does spring training affect player performance and psyche?
26:08–33:55
8
What are the implications of the Cubs' depth in their pitching lineup?
33:55–42:10
Speakers
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