Chicago Cubs Lineup (6/19/26): PCA Leads Off, Shaw in RF, Brown Bump Day vs Blue Jays
It’s Cubbie Blue against the Blue Jays as a pair of disappointing would-be contenders square off at Wrigley. Both teams made big free agency splashes over the winter and feature payrolls that should have them well above .500, but the Cubs are only three games over and the Jays are a game under. With two series wins in a row after failing to take a set in over a month, the Cubs could take advantage of this soft spot to gain back a little ground.
Having Ben Brown on the bump is the best possible way to start the weekend, as the big righty’s 1.74 ERA ranks third among all MLB pitchers with at least 50 innings this season. He’s at just a 1.49 over his seven starts, and he hasn’t given up a home run since his first outing of the year back on March 26. And that dinger came against the first batter he faced, which means he’s riding a 62-inning homerless streak.
That stands in stark contrast to the rest of a pitching staff that has allowed an MLB-leading 110 home runs so far. Brown’s strikeout rate is down a little and his walk rate is right around his career mark, but leaning into that new sinker has helped him to get more grounders and fewer hard-hit balls. He’s kept the Cubs in every game, which is really saying something with the way the offense has performed over the last few weeks.
Pete Crow-Armstrong remains one of the hottest hitters on the planet, so he isn’t leading the leadoff spot anytime soon. Alex Bregman is at third, Michael Busch is at first, Seiya Suzuki is the DH, and Ian Happ is in left. Matt Shaw patrols right, Nico Hoerner is at second, Carson Kelly is the catcher, and Dansby Swanson is at short.
They’re facing Kevin Gausman, who just keeps rolling right along at 35 years old. You can almost set your watch by his numbers, which are some of the most consistent you’ll find. Even though his velo is down a little from earlier in his career and some of his other metrics vary slightly, you pretty much know exactly what you’re getting with Gausman each game and each season.
He’s got one of the narrowest repertoires you’re going to find in a starter, with just a fastball (53%), splitter (39%), and slider (9%). Right-handed hitters will see the slider 17% of the time with lefties seeing it at a mere 4% clip, and that disparity is then allocated to more splitters and four-seams. Gausman fills up the zone with his 94 mph heater, and his 84 mph splitter dives below to get lots of chase. The slider is more of a show-me pitch that hasn’t been very good and doesn’t need to be.
His splits skew traditional this season, which is a change from his reverse career results, but it’s nothing extraordinary. I’m more interested in the home/road numbers that don’t look as good when he’s not able to sleep in his own bed. The Cubs will need all the help they can get, because they come into this one slashing .169/.225/.301 with three homers in 83 total at-bats against Gausman.
This should be a great matchup for those of you who prefer low-scoring games, but maybe the Cubs will surprise us. First pitch is at 1:20pm CT on Marquee and The Score.
Your afternoon lineup is here.
Watch the game live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/bgsaFNNPm8
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 19, 2026
