The Cubs are the only franchise that has played in the National League every year since the league began in 1876. Across 150 NL seasons they are 11,420-10,837 with 17 pennants and three World Series titles, and the 108 years between the 1908 championship and the 2016 championship remain the longest title drought in North American sports. Every season is below.
| Season | Record | Finish | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1876 | 52-14 | 1st | NL pennant, first champion in league history |
| 1877 | 26-33 | 5th | — |
| 1878 | 30-30 | 4th | — |
| 1879 | 46-33 | 4th | — |
| 1880 | 67-17 | 1st | NL pennant |
| 1881 | 56-28 | 1st | NL pennant |
| 1882 | 55-29 | 1st | NL pennant |
| 1883 | 59-39 | 2nd | — |
| 1884 | 62-50 | 5th | — |
| 1885 | 87-25 | 1st | NL pennant, World Series with St. Louis ended 3-3-1 |
| 1886 | 90-34 | 1st | NL pennant, lost World Series to St. Louis 4-2 |
| 1887 | 71-50 | 3rd | — |
| 1888 | 77-58 | 2nd | — |
| 1889 | 67-65 | 3rd | — |
| 1890 | 84-53 | 2nd | — |
| 1891 | 82-53 | 2nd | — |
| 1892 | 70-76 | 7th | — |
| 1893 | 56-71 | 9th | — |
| 1894 | 57-75 | 8th | — |
| 1895 | 72-58 | 4th | — |
| 1896 | 71-57 | 5th | — |
| 1897 | 59-73 | 9th | — |
| 1898 | 85-65 | 4th | — |
| 1899 | 75-73 | 8th | — |
| 1900 | 65-75 | 6th | — |
| 1901 | 53-86 | 6th | — |
| 1902 | 68-69 | 5th | — |
| 1903 | 82-56 | 3rd | — |
| 1904 | 93-60 | 2nd | — |
| 1905 | 92-61 | 3rd | — |
| 1906 | 116-36 | 1st | Lost World Series to the White Sox 4-2 |
| 1907 | 107-45 | 1st | WON WORLD SERIES over Detroit, 4-0 |
| 1908 | 99-55 | 1st | WON WORLD SERIES over Detroit, 4-1 |
| 1909 | 104-49 | 2nd | — |
| 1910 | 104-50 | 1st | Lost World Series to the Athletics 4-1 |
| 1911 | 92-62 | 2nd | — |
| 1912 | 91-59 | 3rd | — |
| 1913 | 88-65 | 3rd | — |
| 1914 | 78-76 | 4th | — |
| 1915 | 73-80 | 4th | — |
| 1916 | 67-86 | 5th | — |
| 1917 | 74-80 | 5th | — |
| 1918 | 84-45 | 1st | Lost World Series to the Red Sox 4-2 |
| 1919 | 75-65 | 3rd | — |
| 1920 | 75-79 | 5th | — |
| 1921 | 64-89 | 7th | — |
| 1922 | 80-74 | 5th | — |
| 1923 | 83-71 | 4th | — |
| 1924 | 81-72 | 5th | — |
| 1925 | 68-86 | 8th | — |
| 1926 | 82-72 | 4th | — |
| 1927 | 85-68 | 4th | — |
| 1928 | 91-63 | 3rd | — |
| 1929 | 98-54 | 1st | Lost World Series to the Athletics 4-1 |
| 1930 | 90-64 | 2nd | — |
| 1931 | 84-70 | 3rd | — |
| 1932 | 90-64 | 1st | Lost World Series to the Yankees 4-0 |
| 1933 | 86-68 | 3rd | — |
| 1934 | 86-65 | 3rd | — |
| 1935 | 100-54 | 1st | Lost World Series to Detroit 4-2 |
| 1936 | 87-67 | 2nd | — |
| 1937 | 93-61 | 2nd | — |
| 1938 | 89-63 | 1st | Lost World Series to the Yankees 4-0 |
| 1939 | 84-70 | 4th | — |
| 1940 | 75-79 | 5th | — |
| 1941 | 70-84 | 6th | — |
| 1942 | 68-86 | 6th | — |
| 1943 | 74-79 | 5th | — |
| 1944 | 75-79 | 4th | — |
| 1945 | 98-56 | 1st | Lost World Series to Detroit 4-3 |
| 1946 | 82-71 | 3rd | — |
| 1947 | 69-85 | 6th | — |
| 1948 | 64-90 | 8th | — |
| 1949 | 61-93 | 8th | — |
| 1950 | 64-89 | 7th | — |
| 1951 | 62-92 | 8th | — |
| 1952 | 77-77 | 5th | — |
| 1953 | 65-89 | 7th | — |
| 1954 | 64-90 | 7th | — |
| 1955 | 72-81 | 6th | — |
| 1956 | 60-94 | 8th | — |
| 1957 | 62-92 | 7th | — |
| 1958 | 72-82 | 5th | — |
| 1959 | 74-80 | 5th | — |
| 1960 | 60-94 | 7th | — |
| 1961 | 64-90 | 7th | — |
| 1962 | 59-103 | 9th | — |
| 1963 | 82-80 | 7th | — |
| 1964 | 76-86 | 8th | — |
| 1965 | 72-90 | 8th | — |
| 1966 | 59-103 | 10th | — |
| 1967 | 87-74 | 3rd | — |
| 1968 | 84-78 | 3rd | — |
| 1969 | 92-70 | 2nd, NL East | — |
| 1970 | 84-78 | 2nd, NL East | — |
| 1971 | 83-79 | 3rd, NL East | — |
| 1972 | 85-70 | 2nd, NL East | — |
| 1973 | 77-84 | 5th, NL East | — |
| 1974 | 66-96 | 6th, NL East | — |
| 1975 | 75-87 | 5th, NL East | — |
| 1976 | 75-87 | 4th, NL East | — |
| 1977 | 81-81 | 4th, NL East | — |
| 1978 | 79-83 | 3rd, NL East | — |
| 1979 | 80-82 | 5th, NL East | — |
| 1980 | 64-98 | 6th, NL East | — |
| 1981 | 38-65 | 6th and 5th | Strike season split into halves |
| 1982 | 73-89 | 5th, NL East | — |
| 1983 | 71-91 | 5th, NL East | — |
| 1984 | 96-65 | 1st, NL East | Lost NLCS to San Diego 3-2 |
| 1985 | 77-84 | 4th, NL East | — |
| 1986 | 70-90 | 5th, NL East | — |
| 1987 | 76-85 | 6th, NL East | — |
| 1988 | 77-85 | 4th, NL East | — |
| 1989 | 93-69 | 1st, NL East | Lost NLCS to San Francisco 4-1 |
| 1990 | 77-85 | 4th, NL East | — |
| 1991 | 77-83 | 4th, NL East | — |
| 1992 | 78-84 | 4th, NL East | — |
| 1993 | 84-78 | 4th, NL East | — |
| 1994 | 49-64 | 5th, NL Central | Postseason canceled by the strike |
| 1995 | 73-71 | 3rd, NL Central | — |
| 1996 | 76-86 | 4th, NL Central | — |
| 1997 | 68-94 | 5th, NL Central | — |
| 1998 | 90-73 | 2nd, wild card | Lost NLDS to Atlanta 3-0 |
| 1999 | 67-95 | 6th, NL Central | — |
| 2000 | 65-97 | 6th, NL Central | — |
| 2001 | 88-74 | 3rd, NL Central | — |
| 2002 | 67-95 | 5th, NL Central | — |
| 2003 | 88-74 | 1st, NL Central | Won NLDS over Atlanta 3-2, lost NLCS to Florida 4-3 |
| 2004 | 89-73 | 3rd, NL Central | — |
| 2005 | 79-83 | 4th, NL Central | — |
| 2006 | 66-96 | 6th, NL Central | — |
| 2007 | 85-77 | 1st, NL Central | Lost NLDS to Arizona 3-0 |
| 2008 | 97-64 | 1st, NL Central | Lost NLDS to the Dodgers 3-0 |
| 2009 | 83-78 | 2nd, NL Central | — |
| 2010 | 75-87 | 5th, NL Central | — |
| 2011 | 71-91 | 5th, NL Central | — |
| 2012 | 61-101 | 5th, NL Central | — |
| 2013 | 66-96 | 5th, NL Central | — |
| 2014 | 73-89 | 5th, NL Central | — |
| 2015 | 97-65 | 3rd, wild card | Won wild card game, won NLDS over St. Louis 3-1, lost NLCS to the Mets 4-0 |
| 2016 | 103-58 | 1st, NL Central | WON WORLD SERIES over Cleveland, 4-3 |
| 2017 | 92-70 | 1st, NL Central | Won NLDS over Washington 3-2, lost NLCS to the Dodgers 4-1 |
| 2018 | 95-68 | 2nd, wild card | Lost wild card game to Colorado |
| 2019 | 84-78 | 3rd, NL Central | — |
| 2020 | 34-26 | 1st, NL Central | Lost wild card series to Miami 2-0 |
| 2021 | 71-91 | 4th, NL Central | — |
| 2022 | 74-88 | 3rd, NL Central | — |
| 2023 | 83-79 | 2nd, NL Central | — |
| 2024 | 83-79 | 3rd, NL Central | — |
| 2025 | 92-70 | 2nd, wild card | Won wild card series over San Diego 2-1, lost NLDS to Milwaukee 3-2 |
The First Two Decades Were the Best
Chicago won six of the first seven National League pennants under Cap Anson, including a 67-17 season in 1880 and an .798 winning percentage that no Cubs team has approached since. The franchise carried three different names in that stretch, becoming the White Stockings, then the Colts in 1890, then the Orphans in 1898, before settling on Cubs in 1903.
1906 to 1910: The Best Team in Baseball
The Tinker to Evers to Chance Cubs won 116 games in 1906, still tied with the 2001 Mariners for the most in a season, then won back to back World Series in 1907 and 1908 over Detroit. Those five seasons produced four pennants and 530 wins. The 1908 title would be the last for 108 years.
The Drought
Chicago kept reaching the World Series and kept losing it: 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938 and 1945, seven straight defeats. After 1945 came the longest stretch of futility, with only two winning seasons between 1947 and 1966 and a 59-103 finish in both 1962 and 1966. The 1969, 1984, 1989, 2003 and 2008 teams all got close and none reached the Series.
2016 and After
Theo Epstein rebuilt the roster through three straight last place finishes from 2012 to 2014, and the payoff came fast. The 2015 team won 97 games, the 2016 team won 103 and beat Cleveland in seven games for the first title since 1908, and Chicago reached the postseason five times in six years. The Cubs returned in 2025, beating San Diego in the wild card round before losing a five game NLDS to Milwaukee. Through September 5, 2026 they were 81-62 and held a National League wild card spot.