There's no way to discuss the Cubs' starting rotation without having it devolve into a nightmare of a word problem. Allow us to demonstrate:
Ten players made at least five starts for the Cubs in 2026. Only one, Shota Imanaga, hit the 30-start threshold. A second, Matthew Boyd, got to 20. The third most prolific, Colin Rea (19), was bumped to the bullpen halfway through the season. David Peterson, acquired in late June, made 15, as did Edward Cabrera and Jameson Taillon, who was later traded to the Blue Jays. Javier Assad, in his classic swing man role, made 11. Deadline acquisitions Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes made nine starts each, and rounding out the group was Ben Brown, who made eight…
