Sports Today Wednesday, September 9
← Back to today’s slate MLB matchup · September 9, 2026
Chicago Cubs
81-65 · 2nd in NL Central, 9 GB
Bats heating up
RHP Kevin Gausman · Command specialist
@
Milwaukee Brewers
90-56 · 1st in NL Central
Bats heating up
RHP Logan Henderson · Elite strikeout stuff · plus control
MLB · American Family Field · 4:40 PM PT

Team Identity

Chicago Cubs
Season-to-date, 146 games, 5,985 PA.
A patient, power-hitting offense that works counts and draws walks. The bats have been heating up lately.
Power
Elite94
Contact
Above Avg67
Plate Discipline
Elite96
Speed
Above Avg78
RISP
Average59
Recent Form
Trending Up
Total bases per PA is up 9% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.
Milwaukee Brewers
Season-to-date, 146 games, 5,920 PA.
A patient, opportunistic offense that works counts and draws walks, though it can be light on power. The bats have been heating up lately.
Power
Well Below19
Contact
Above Avg77
Plate Discipline
Elite96
Speed
Average65
RISP
Above Avg84
Recent Form
Trending Up
Walk rate is up 12% over the team's last 10 games versus its season baseline.

What This Game Is About

Biggest Advantage

Brewers' offense is defined by being patient, and this game tests whether Cubs can match it.

Swing Factor

Logan Henderson strikes hitters out at a 29.4% clip (94th percentile); Cubs carry a 20.6% strikeout rate.

Momentum

Cubs are trending up and Brewers are trending up over their last 10 games.

Key Matchups

Can Logan Henderson miss enough bats?
Logan Henderson strikes hitters out at a 29.4% clip (94th percentile); Cubs carry a 20.6% strikeout rate.
Edge · CubsLogan Henderson: 29.4% K rateCubs: 20.6% K rateHigh confidence
Can Kevin Gausman command the strike zone?
Brewers walk in 10.2% of trips; Kevin Gausman allows walks sparingly (6.2%).
Edge · Kevin GausmanBrewers: 10.2% walk rateKevin Gausman: 6.2% walks allowedHigh confidence
Can Logan Henderson command the strike zone?
Cubs walk in 10.2% of trips; Logan Henderson allows walks sparingly (4.4%).
Edge · Logan HendersonCubs: 10.2% walk rateLogan Henderson: 4.4% walks allowedHigh confidence
Can Kevin Gausman miss enough bats?
Kevin Gausman strikes hitters out at a 23.3% clip (65th percentile); Brewers carry a 20.7% strikeout rate.
Edge · BrewersKevin Gausman: 23.3% K rateBrewers: 20.7% K rateHigh confidence
Can Logan Henderson limit Cubs' power?
Cubs rank in the 94th percentile in extra-base production, while Logan Henderson sits in the 59th percentile at suppressing total bases.
Edge · CubsCubs: 0.361 TB/PALogan Henderson: 0.316 TB/PA allowed (316 PA)High confidence

Pitcher Trends

Kevin Gausman
Kevin Gausman
Chicago Cubs · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts6.0/start
Hits allowed5.8/start
6+ Strikeouts — 4 of last 65 or fewer Hits Allowed — 3 of last 6
23% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.
Logan Henderson
Logan Henderson
Milwaukee Brewers · 8 starts
SP
Strikeouts6.9/start
Hits allowed3.5/start
6+ Strikeouts — 5 of last 65 or fewer Hits Allowed — 6 of last 6
29% K rate
Per-start form only — opponent lineup, park, and pitch count aren't modeled.

Player Trends

Michael Conforto
Michael Conforto
Chicago Cubs · 0.300 hit rate · 0.600 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L106 / 10L2511 / 25
On-base rate is up 81% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 8 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 10%.
Alex Bregman
Alex Bregman
Chicago Cubs · 0.279 hit rate · 0.605 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L107 / 10L2515 / 25
Total bases per PA is up 73% over his prior baseline, with hits in 7 of his last 10 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 7%.
Tyrone Taylor
Tyrone Taylor
Chicago Cubs · 0.400 hit rate · 0.700 TB/PA
Heating up
recent games · 1+ hit
L54 / 5L108 / 10L2515 / 25
Total bases per PA is up 77% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 7 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 10%.
Pedro Ramirez
Pedro Ramirez
Chicago Cubs · 0.077 hit rate · 0.192 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L52 / 5L104 / 10L2513 / 252-game hit streak
Hit rate is down 70% over his prior baseline, with hits in 2 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 27%.
Sal Frelick
Sal Frelick
Milwaukee Brewers · 0.125 hit rate · 0.167 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L105 / 10L2511 / 25
Total bases per PA is down 43% over his prior baseline, with hits in 3 of his last 7 games.
Luis Lara
Luis Lara
Milwaukee Brewers · 0.161 hit rate · 0.194 TB/PA
Cooling off
recent games · 1+ hit
L53 / 5L107 / 10L2518 / 252-game hit streak
Total bases per PA is down 39% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 8 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 29%.

Players Positioned to Succeed

78
Jackson Chourio
Jackson Chourio
1+ Hit
Milwaukee Brewers
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
75
Nico Hoerner
Nico Hoerner
1+ Hit
Chicago Cubs
Why it stands out
Low recent strikeout rate
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
74
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Pete Crow-Armstrong
1+ Hit
Chicago Cubs
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Lineup not yet posted
73
William Contreras
William Contreras
1+ Hit
Milwaukee Brewers
Why it stands out
Strong recent plate-appearance volume
Main risk
Ice cold — 3 hits in the last 25 plate appearances
72
Alex Bregman
Alex Bregman
1+ Hit
Chicago Cubs
Why it stands out
Low recent strikeout rate
Main risk
Recent hit rate has cooled
71
Brice Turang
Brice Turang
1+ Hit
Milwaukee Brewers
Why it stands out
Recent contact results are improving
Main risk
Elevated recent strikeout rate

Expected Game Shape

BalancedLow confidence

Competitive profile without a clear stylistic tilt. Cubs bring more power. Starting pitching is likely to set the tone.

Early edge Brewers Driver No single dominant factor Volatility Moderate
  • Both probable starters grade around the 69th percentile in combined suppression.
  • Cubs are trending up; Brewers are trending up.

Storylines to Watch

Does Cubs' power tilt the game?
Cubs bring a clearly stronger extra-base profile into this matchup.
Cubs power pct 94 vs Brewers 19
Is Michael Conforto the one to watch?
Michael Conforto enters as Cubs' hottest bat. On-base rate is up 81% over his prior baseline, with hits in 5 of his last 8 games. He has trimmed his strikeout rate to 10%.
0.300 hit rate · 0.600 TB/PA · 0.187 hit rate · 0.377 TB/PA
Can Pedro Ramirez snap out of it?
Pedro Ramirez has cooled off. Hit rate is down 70% over his prior baseline, with hits in 2 of his last 7 games. His strikeout rate has climbed to 27%.
0.077 hit rate · 0.192 TB/PA · 0.255 hit rate · 0.391 TB/PA
Based on plate appearances before 2026-09-09, with today's posted lineups when available. Injuries, weather, bullpen availability, and park factors are not yet included.