Cubs BCB After Dark: Are the Cubs the team to beat?

Cubs BCB After Dark: Are the Cubs the team to beat?Story byJosh TimmersThu, January 15, 2026 at 3:30 AM UTC·5 min read

It’s Wednesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hot spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. It’s good to see you. Everyone is welcome here. Come in out of the cold. We can check your coat for you. The hostess can seat you now. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

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Last night I asked you to grade the Cubs offseason on the presumption that they’re pretty much done with major moves. Fifty-four percent of you gave the Cubs a “B” and 33 percent gave them an “A.” Personally, I’d give them an A. Maybe an A- for not landing someone to compete at the closer’s spot with Daniel Palencia.

Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. The BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic rolls on and we’ve got a big matchup tonight. But you’re free to skip ahead if you want.

Tonight we have two songs from the great pianist Hank Jones and “The Great Jazz Trio” in Tokyo in 2009. Jones is around 90 in this performance and would be dead in about a year, but he still plays incredibly. Jones is joined by David Wong on bass and Billy Kilson on drums.

This is “Blue Minor” and “Round Midnight.”

You voted in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic and you picked 2001: A Space Odyssey to move on to the third round over Seconds. That’s no surprise. Seconds is a good movie, but 2001 is one of the great all-time classics.

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Tonight we have a really big matchup between two films that spawned large film and merchandising empires. One is bigger than the other, but they both are pretty big. We have second-seed Star Wars (the New Hope thing) going up against Alien. Good luck separating the original movies from all that surrounds them.

2. Star Wars (1977) Directed by George Lucas.Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.

Here’s what I wrote last time about Star Wars.

Here’s the famous Mos Eisley Cantina Scene in Star Wars. What strikes me about this, and what struck many observers of the time, is simply the incredible vitality and creativity of the alien landscape. While the plot of Star Wars may have been lifted from movie serials, samurai films and westerns, the film finds ways to be incredibly innovative in so many other ways.

3.  Alien(1979). Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, and Veronica Cartwright.

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Here’s what I wrote last time about Alien.

Here’s a scene where the xenomorph comes for Harry Dean Stanton. This is a great example of Hitchcock’s definition of suspense. We, the audience, know something that the characters on screen do not. We’re on the edge of our seat seeing if what we think/fear is going to happen actually comes to pass.

So now it’s time to vote.

You have until Monday to vote. Up next week, Blade Runner (1982) faces off against Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982).

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.

Tonight’s question is simply “Who is the favorite in the National League Central?”

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The Brewers are the defending division champions and with 97 wins, they won more games than any other team in the majors last year during the regular season. The Brew Crew is the three-time defending division champion and they’ve won the crown in four of the past five years. But their winter has been relatively quiet. They may yet trade Freddy Peralta. Have the Cubs done enough to catch them? Have they closed that five-game gap?

Of course, the Cubs aren’t the only team looking to win the NL Central. The Reds are a young team that should be better in 2026 even without any major additions. The Reds made the playoffs after winning 83 games last year. That seems like a lot of ground to make up, but should the Cubs and Brewers slip a bit, it’s doable.

The Pirates have the best pitcher on the planet in Paul Skenes, or second-best if you like Tarik Skubal better. They’ve also made some big moves to improve their offense this winter. In fact, other than the Cubs, the Pirates have probably made the most moves to improve themselves. They’ve got a long ways to go, considering they only won 71 games last year. But there have been more miraculous turnarounds in baseball history.

Then there are the Cardinals, who are in sell-off mode. The Cardinals are expected to be rebuilding this year and letting the kids play. But they’ve got a lot of young, talented players and a strong farm system. Can we completely rule out that Cardinals Devil Magic?

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In case you need a refresher, Jesse Rogers has a recap of what every team in the NL Central has done so far this winter and what they still need to do.

So are the Cubs the favorites?

If one of these teams makes a big move between now and Opening Day, we can revisit this poll. But for now, vote on the rosters as they currently stand.

Thank you for stopping by this week. We’ve enjoyed hosting you. Let us get your coat for you. Do you still have your ticket? Please get home safely. Stay warm. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.

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