No MLB team has its end goal being making it to the NLDS before each season begins. In fact, it’s hard to imagine that any team has ever had a goal other than winning the World Series each season, even those teams that never had a chance of making the playoffs.
But that doesn’t mean making it to the NLDS and then losing in the winner-take-all game is something to scoff at, especially given that it marked the Chicago Cubs’ best season finish since 2017, when they were defeated in the NLCS by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
There’s also a case to be made that a season can’t be assessed solely by where a team finished or what their win-loss record conveys. For Chicago, there are plenty of positives to build upon as they enter 2026, such as the breakout campaign of rookie Cade Horton, the resurgent success of Drew Pomeranz, and the star-making season that Pete Crow-Armstrong produced.
All of this is to say that Cubs players, fans, and everybody else associated with the team are more than within their rights to feel content about their 2025 campaign, as well as feel optimistic about what the future holds.
Dansby Swanson Sends Strong Chicago Cubs Season Reflection
This is the exact sentiment that star shortstop Dansby Swanson conveyed with an Instagram post on October 27, which was captioned, “Chicago. It was a dang good year. We reached heights we haven’t gotten to in far too long. We got better, we grew, we represented what it means to be a Cub. There may have been pain in the end, but that’s what makes the triumphs sweeter when they happen. Another chapter is done, but there’s many more to be written. Thank you Wrigley!”
There were five photos included in the post. The first is the Cubs roster after they moved on to the NLDS after beating the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card series, and the second is Swanson being showered in champagne in the locker room right after that first photo.
The third is a cool-looking picture of Swanson in the Cubs’ road grey uniform, the fourth one of Swanson posing in the dugout with several teammates, and the fifth is him executing a throw while jumping over Padres star Manny Machado.
Swanson is expected to be a key part of the Cubs’ future success. And his optimistic season reflection has hopefully brightened the collective mood of Cubs fans who believe their team should be competing in the World Series right now.
