Monday Morning Cubs Show

Carl + Mahoney
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A show every Monday morning about the Chicago Cubs from Carl and Mahoney.

  1. 4d ago

    Game 1 Wild Card Recap + Game 2 Preview

    One hit. Eight runs allowed. Zero room to hide. That’s the kind of playoff opener that makes you question everything, from roster construction to the first pitch plan, and I’m not pretending I’m calm about it. I’m Carl, and this Monday Morning Cubs Show is a special recap and Game 2 preview built for Cubs fans who need to vent first, then refocus fast because it’s winner go home tonight at Petco Park. We start with the hard part: accountability. I break down why starting Matt Boyd in Game 1 felt like a leadership failure, why the matchup against the Padres lineup looked wrong on paper and looked worse on the field, and how a “gutless” vibe can spread once you fall behind early. Then we dig into what actually happened between the lines. Michael King’s movement, command, and ability to work both sides of the plate turned our at-bats into weak contact and ugly swings, and it exposed how quickly a top offense can look lost in October. From there, we turn the page to real adjustments for Cubs vs Padres Game 2. I give a scouting report on Nick Pivetta, why his vertical approach and strikeout stuff create a different kind of pressure than King, and what the Cubs need to do to avoid pressing. On the mound, Kevin Gausman becomes the fulcrum: I lay out why pitching “backwards” with early splitters and discomfort inside can change the tone, and why we need length from him to avoid bullpen chaos. If you’re riding the emotional swing of the MLB postseason, hit play, then tell me what you’re watching for tonight. Subscribe, share the show with a Cubs fan who’s spiraling, and leave a review so we can keep firing these off when the games demand it. Thanks for tuning in!  - Carl & Mahoney

  2. 6d ago

    Cubs vs Padres Wild Card Preview

    The Cubs are heading to San Diego for a Wild Card Series that feels like a stress test for everything we believe about this roster. The Padres are red hot at 16-3 down the stretch, Petco Park is going to be loud, and the margin for error is basically gone, but we still like the Cubs’ chances because the lineup is deeper and the defense is on another level. If you want a clear Cubs playoff preview that actually helps you watch the game smarter, we break down exactly where the series tilts and why.  We dig into the Padres scouting report from the top: Fernando Tatis Jr. as the superstar catalyst, Dustin Harris as the new spark plug hitting behind him, and how the rest of the order stacks up behind Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, and Ty France. Then we get blunt about the one rule we’re not breaking: we’re not walking Tatis, because it changes the entire inning and puts the pressure on the wrong hitters at the wrong time. The theme is simple and unforgiving: if Cubs pitching throws strikes, we can control the game; if we fall behind in counts, we’re playing with fire.  We also go deep on the pitching matchup, especially Michael King’s sinker-heavy approach and his ability to attack both glove side and arm side with different breaking ball shapes. That leads into the late-game problem everyone’s thinking about: the Padres bullpen, headlined by Mason Miller, and why the Cubs need to create offense early enough to avoid getting scripted out of the game. We wrap with our predictions, what a three-game series might look like, and the key moments we can already feel coming. Subscribe, share the show with a Cubs fan, and leave a review so we can ride every pitch together. Thanks for tuning in!  - Carl & Mahoney

  3. Sep 25

    SPECIAL EPISODE: It's Playoff Clinch Night

    Clinching a playoff spot should feel like pure champagne, but if you’ve watched this Cubs season closely, you know it can feel like a deep, exhausted exhale too. We’re coming to you with our playoff clinch edition, joined by two of our most recurring voices: CB and the legendary Jake Tui, plus Mahoney in the mix as always. It’s loose, it’s honest, and it’s exactly how real Cubs fans sound when October finally becomes official. We dig into the question nobody agrees on: is making the postseason a celebration or a relief when the team has looked like a World Series threat and also flirted with late-season frustration? From there we go straight into the hot zones, bullpen trust, Craig Counsell decisions, and whether lining up the pitching staff matters more than chasing the perfect Wild Card seed. We also talk about what the front office got right at the deadline, what still scares us, and why certain matchups feel like landmines. Then we spend real time on the heartbeat of the year: Pete Crow-Armstrong. PCA’s 40-40 season sparks a full Cubs history argument, stacking his impact against Sammy Sosa’s cultural peak and Kris Bryant’s MVP run. We also make the case for the underrated bats that could decide a series, including what a healthy Alex Bregman changes and why Seiya Suzuki deserves more respect going into the MLB playoffs. If this made you feel something, subscribe, share it with a Cubs friend, and leave a review so more fans find the show. Who do you want in the Wild Card round, and what’s your one bold prediction for October? Thanks for tuning in!  - Carl & Mahoney

  4. Sep 21

    Six Games Left And A Wild Card To Hold

    Six games left, the Cubs sitting on the top wild card spot, and our brains are supposed to be melting, right? Instead, we wake up feeling oddly steady, and we try to explain why the vibes are different than those past “huge week” Mondays where everything felt like it could collapse. We also flag the very real variable hovering over the final stretch: weather, travel, and the way one storm can turn the cleanest plan into chaos. Then the real stuff hits. Alex Bregman gets drilled and suddenly every playoff conversation sharpens into one question: how much is getting Bregman healthy worth compared to chasing home field at Wrigley Field? We talk about where he was positioned, Craig Counsell’s response, what the injury could do to timing at the plate, and how the Cubs try to survive if they have to cover innings and at-bats without their best right-handed hitter. It’s not doom, but it is the kind of lineup math that decides October. From there we get into the players and roles that will make or break a short series: Pete Crow-Armstrong’s star turn, Ian Happ’s underrated steadiness, Carson Kelly’s sneaky value against lefties, and the pitching debate that won’t go away. We go Ball Or Strike on Shota Imanaga versus Matt Boyd, and we make the case for Daniel Palencia getting the toughest inning in October even if it shows up in the sixth. If you’re thinking about bullpen leverage, platoons, and how the Cubs actually win tight playoff games, this one’s for you. If you enjoyed it, subscribe on Spotify or Apple, share the show with a fellow Cubs fan, and leave a rating or review so more maniacs find us. Thanks for tuning in!  - Carl & Mahoney

  5. Sep 14

    Ball or Strike: We Need To Wear Pinstripes Every Game

    A Super Bowl champion running back calls you up, then tells you he just wants to talk Pokemon cards. That is how our week starts, and it somehow fits perfectly with the current Cubs season: electric, improbable, and a little bit unhinged in the best way. Carl breaks down the quick-hit Nashville trip that turned into meeting Leonard Fournette, hearing how deep his Pokemon collecting goes, and why creative work and real sponsors can keep a show alive when everything feels shaky. Then we lock back in on what you came for: the Chicago Cubs playoff push and the stuff that actually decides October. We love this lineup. We love the defense. We cannot stop talking about Pete Crow-Armstrong, and we get into a real debate about what “peak” means when you compare PCA’s all-around game to the best of Sammy Sosa. We also talk about Alex Bregman as the steady hand near the top of the order, plus the sneaky October paths for Pedro Ramirez and a potential Matt Shaw moment. But we do not dodge the problem: the Cubs bullpen is the biggest reason trust gets fragile fast, especially when you picture a postseason matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers. We talk wild card positioning, why hosting at Wrigley Field matters, how Dansby Swanson’s return impacts everything up the middle, and we even make the case for going full pinstripes because baseball is still a vibes sport. If you like Cubs podcasts with real opinions and zero gambling-promo nonsense, subscribe, share this with a Cubs friend, and leave us a review so we can keep building this thing. Thanks for tuning in!  - Carl & Mahoney

  6. Sep 7

    Labor Day Special Episode: A Chicago Sports Guide To How Much Our Bullpen Sucks

    The Cubs are doing something that should feel impossible: pairing a top-tier offense with elite defense, then turning around and making every late lead feel like a coin flip. On a Labor Day morning, we sit down as Cubs fans and talk through that emotional whiplash the only way we know how: a little neighborhood banter, a little scoreboard reality, and then a hard look at what actually wins in October. We give Pete Crow-Armstrong his flowers as the kind of athlete who changes a franchise’s ceiling, then we dig into the lineup’s surge with real context. Alex Bregman’s run, Nico Horner’s consistency, and the Cubs’ second half wRC+ paint a picture of an offense that travels. From there we go straight to the “ball or strike” segment, where we lay out the high leverage numbers, platoon splits against righties and lefties, one-run game results, and why the stats say this team is built to win tight games. Then we address the thing every Cubs conversation circles back to: the bullpen. We don’t sugarcoat it, and we don’t pretend it’s a minor flaw. We talk roster construction, why it feels like a whole phase of the game is missing, and what that means when the Brewers series looms and the Phillies are chasing. We also compare schedules down the stretch and preview the kind of left-handed pitching matchups that could define a playoff series. If you’re tracking the Chicago Cubs playoff race, Cubs bullpen concerns, or Cubs wRC+ trends, this one gives you both the numbers and the gut-check. Subscribe, share this with a fellow Cubs fan, and leave a review with your best real-life analogy for this bullpen. Thanks for tuning in!  - Carl & Mahoney

  7. Sep 4

    The Cubs Could Have Swept Milwaukee But The Bullpen Made It Messy

    A series win can still feel like a loss when you know you had your foot on the Brewers’ throat. That’s where our heads are today, and we’re not pretending otherwise. We talk through the Cubs vs Brewers frustration, the blown chances, the late-inning chaos, and why a team that looks like a contender can still leave you steaming before the first sip of coffee. Then we slow it down and get precise about what’s real and what’s just noise. We unpack the “should have swept” instinct versus the more honest “could have swept” reality, especially when you steal a win scoring two runs. From there, we make the case that the foundation for an MLB playoffs run is still sitting right in front of us: Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes at the top. We get into how we’d line them up in October, why Game 1 logic is not the same as a one-and-done scenario, and what kind of tone-setter you actually want early in a series. After that, it’s the stuff fans argue about all night: the Cubs bullpen, the moments that scream lack of execution, and the bigger question of responsibility. We also push back hard on lazy Michael Busch takes by adding context around left-handed pitching, lineup trust, and what it means for roster flexibility across a long season. And yes, we go straight at Craig Counsell, because when the roster is this good, the leadership conversation gets loud fast. If you’re riding the same highs and lows, hit play, then subscribe, share the show, and leave a review so more Cubs fans find us. Thanks for tuning in!  - Carl & Mahoney

  8. Aug 31

    PCA is the MVP + Full Brewers Preview w/ Special Guest CB

    The Cubs are getting worked over by the Reds, the bullpen feels shaky, and the calendar is about to flip to September. That is exactly when we needed to sit down and ask the question nobody wants to answer: is there still a real path to catching the Brewers, or are we just doing math to protect our feelings? We bring in Mahoney and CB for a roundtable that starts with the fun stuff and quickly turns into the big stuff. We hand out our weekly Thirsty Vaquero awards, then zoom in on the story of the season: Pete Crow-Armstrong playing like an MVP and making historic noise, especially with the way he’s crushing left-handed pitching. From there we hit a few “ball or strike” calls that matter in October, including how much credit Craig Counsell deserves for the environment, and whether a season with a superstar this good has to end deep in the playoffs to feel right. Then we get specific with a full Cubs vs Brewers series preview at Wrigley Field, breaking it down by position groups: starting pitching matchups, bullpen trust, catching depth vs top-end talent, corner infield advantages, the middle infield questions with Dansby Swanson out, and why the Cubs outfield feels like the clear strength. We also talk hard lineup choices like Ian Happ vs Tyrone Taylor against lefty starters, plus what Seiya Suzuki’s future might look like after a quietly huge year. If you love smart Cubs talk with honest nerves and real scouting, hit play. Subscribe, share the show with a fellow fan, and leave a review, then tell us your prediction: do the Cubs take three of four, or is that wishful thinking? Thanks for tuning in!  - Carl & Mahoney

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About

A show every Monday morning about the Chicago Cubs from Carl and Mahoney.

Information

  • Creator
    Carl + Mahoney
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    141
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Monday Morning Cubs Show
  • Show Website
    Monday Morning Cubs Show

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