Cubs crush Rangers, accomplish feat not seen in MLB since 1955

The Chicago Cubs joined exclusive historical company on Friday night when they notched their 10th straight win.

The Cubs thumped the Texas Rangers 7-1 behind strong pitching in a bullpen-heavy game and Seiya Suzuki’s seventh home run of the season. As noted, it was the Cubs’ 10th straight win. What makes it historic is that the Cubs in 2026 have now amassed not one but two 10-game win streaks, even though it’s still early May.

As Sarah Langs notes, the Cubs are the first team since the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers to have two win streaks of at least 10 games within the first 40 games of a season. Here’s the very short list of teams to achieve the vanishingly rare feat:

Yes, the current Cubs are just the third team of the modern era to pull this off, and if history is any guide, they’re well on their way to an excellent season — maybe even one that ends with a hoisting of the trophy. 

In the Cubs’ case, their two 10-game heaters are pretty close together. The Cubs notched their first win streak from April 14 through April 24. Then they dropped three straight to the Dodgers, and then they began their current win streak with a win over the Padres on April 28. Stated another way, the Cubs have now won 20 of their last 23 games. 

Friday’s win in Arlington pushes the Cubs to 27-12 (they’re 18-5 at home), and they’ve achieved that mark despite having played the second-toughest schedule in all of MLB as measured by opponents’ average winning percentage. That’s good for first place in the NL Central, which has been the best division in baseball thus far. That’s also, for the moment, the best record in baseball. The Cubs are backing it up with a plus-56 run differential. 

This, of course, isn’t out of nowhere, as the Cubs last season won 92 games and made the playoffs. In 2026, though, they’re looking like a true juggernaut thus far — one that’s already made a bit of history.