The 2015 Chicago Cubs season was the 144th season for the franchise, the 140th in the National League and the 100th at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by Joe Maddon in his first year as Cubs manager and played their home games at Wrigley Field as members of the National League Central.
They began the season on April 5, 2015, in a first-ever night-game home-opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at partially renovated Wrigley Field, and finished the regular season on October 4, 2015, on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Cubs finished the season with the third-best record in baseball (97–65) which was also the third-best in their division, finishing one game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates (98–64) and three games behind the division winner, the rival St. Louis Cardinals (100–62). As a result, they qualified for the second wild card spot for the postseason, their first postseason appearance since 2008, and defeated the Pirates in the NLWC Game to advance to the NLDS against the Cardinals. The Cubs defeated St. Louis three games to one to advance to the NLCS against the New York Mets, the Cubs' first appearance in the NLCS since 2003. However, they were swept in four games.
In 2015, Forbes valued the Cubs at $1.8 billion, ranking them 17th out of all sports franchises in the world, and the fifth highest in all MLB. The Cubs attendance for the regular season was 2,959,812, up over 300,000 from the previous year.
Previous season The Cubs finished the 2014 season 73–89 to finish in last place in the Central Division. Following the season, the Cubs fired manager Rick Renteria and hired former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon.
Offseason Stadium changes
On Monday, September 29, one day after the conclusion of the 2014 season, a $575 million four-year renovation project to Wrigley Field began. The bleachers in left and right field were expanded, the stadium was extended further onto both Waveland and Sheffield Avenues, and seven new outfield signs were installed along with a 5,700-square-foot jumbotron scoreboard in the left field bleachers and a 2,400 square foot video scoreboard in the right field bleachers. The parking lots along Clark Street were excavated for underground players' locker rooms and lounges.
Coaching changes The Cubs decided not to retain Mike Brumley as the assistant hitting coach. Bill Mueller, the hitting coach, resigned over the decision. On October 9. 2014 John Mallee, formerly the Astros hitting coach, was hired as his replacement. Eric Hinske was the assistant hitting coach and Doug Dascenzo was signed to replace him as first base/outfield coach. In late October 2014, quality assurance coach Jose Castro resigned to work with Atlanta Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer.
On October 31, the Cubs fired first year manager Rick Renteria. On Monday, November 3, The Cubs announced the signing of Joe Maddon to a five-year contract as manager of the team. Former Cub Henry Blanco was hired to be the quality assurance coach on November 22. At the start of the 2015 season, Brandon Hyde went from 2014 season bench coach to first base and Doug Dascenzo was the outfield coach. Dave Martinez was bench coach. On February 24, 2015, Manny Ramirez was hired as a batting consultant, splitting time between Chicago and AAA Iowa. Also, Kevin Youkilis was given a part-time job as a scouting and player development consultant.
Broadcast changes In June 2014, the Cubs announced an end to their radio play-by-play history on WGN (720-AM) radio which dated back to 1924. In a new partnership with CBS Radio, the radio broadcast of their games moved to WBBM (780-AM) for the 2015 season.
The Cubs finalized a new television broadcast agreement with long-time over-the-air carrier WGN-TV (Channel 9), in which the station would carry a reduced slate of 45 games per season. The team also signed a new broadcast agreement with ABC-owned station WLS-TV (Channel 7), in which they will show 25 games annually; this deal replaced WCIU-TV as the Cubs' secondary over-the-air television outlet. Both agreements with WLS and WGN run through the end of the 2019 season. Play-by-play announcer Len Kasper and color commentator Jim Deshaies became employees of the Cubs rather than WGN-TV.
As a result of a new programming strategy implemented by Tribune Media for WGN America, the cable superstation ceased televising Cubs games (as well as that of the Chicago White Sox and Bulls) to a national audience as of January 2015. This marked the end of a 36-season run of Cubs games televised on the national version of WGN-TV.
The Cubs created affiliate stations to complement the 2015 television and radio schedule.
Transactions RHP Donn Roach was claimed off the waiver list from the San Diego Padres. The Atlanta Braves traded second baseman Tommy La Stella to the Cubs for relief pitcher Arodys Vizcaíno and international signing bonus slots. RHP Jason Hammel signed with Chicago Cubs for a 2-year, $18 million contract after being previously traded in July 2014 to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for top prospect Addison Russell, among other players. C Miguel Montero was traded by the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for minor league RHP Jefferson Mejia and RHP Zack Godley. Mejia pitched for the Arizona League Cubs in 2014 and Godley pitched for the Daytona Cubs and the Kane County Cougars in 2014. LHP Jon Lester signed with the Chicago Cubs for six years for $155 million, with a vested option for a seventh. He was officially introduced on December 15, 2014. Jonathan Herrera signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs in December 2014. Infielder Logan Watkins and relief pitcher Donn Roach were designated for assignment on December 19 to make space for recently claimed Ryan Lavarnway and Shane Peterson. On December 23, 2014, The Cubs announced that they had signed catcher David Ross to a two-year, $5 million contract. Chris Denorfia signed a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $2.6 million with $400k in incentives with the Chicago Cubs on January 9, 2015. On January 19, 2015, outfielder Dexter Fowler was traded to the Cubs from the Houston Astros for Luis Valbuena and Dan Straily. Gonzalez Germen was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs on January 23, 2015. On March 5, Cubs signed RHP Phil Coke.
Regular season Game log
|- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 1 | April 5 | Cardinals | 0–3 | Wainwright (1–0) | Lester (0–1) | Rosenthal (1) | 35,055 | 0–1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bbb" | – | April 7 | Cardinals | colspan="6" | Postponed (inclement weather) (Makeup date: July 7) |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 2 | April 8 | Cardinals | 2–0 | Arrieta (1–0) | Lynn (0–1) | Rondón (1) | 26,814 | 1–1 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 3 | April 10 | @ Rockies | 1–5 | Bergman (1–0) | Wood (0–1) | — | 49,303 | 1–2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 4 | April 11 | @ Rockies | 9–5 | Hammel (1–0) | Kendrick (1–1) | — | 43,812 | 2–2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 5 | April 12 | @ Rockies | 6–5 | Ramirez (1–0) | Hawkins (1–1) | Rondon (2) | 41,363 | 3–2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 6 | April 13 | Reds | 7–6 (10) | Rondon (1–0) | Parra (0–1) | — | 26,390 | 4–2 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 7 | April 14 | Reds | 0–3 | DeSclafani (1–0) | Arrieta (1–1) | Chapman (3) | 27.525 | 4–3 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 8 | April 15 | Reds | 5–0 | Wood (1–1) | Marquis (0–1) | — | 29,205 | 5–3 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 9 | April 17 | Padres | 4–5 | Shields (2–0) | Schlitter (0–1) | Kimbrel (4) | 32,138 | 5–4 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 10 | April 18 | Padres | 7–6 (11) | Rosscup (1–0) | Kimbrel (0–1) | — | 33,958 | 6–4 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 11 | April 19 | Padres | 2–5 | Cashner (1–2) | Lester (0–2) | Benoit (1) | 29,113 | 6–5 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 12 | April 20 | @ Pirates | 5–2 | Arrieta (2–1) | Caminero (0–1) | — | 11,777 | 7–5 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 13 | April 21 | @ Pirates | 9–8 | Jackson (1–0) | Melancon (0–1) | Rondon (3) | 13,680 | 8–5 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 14 | April 22 | @ Pirates | 3–4 | Worley (2–1) | Hammel(1–1) | Watson (1) | 15,101 | 8–6 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 15 | April 23 | @ Pirates | 4–5 | Liz (1–1) | Schlitter (0–2) | Melancon (3) | 22,224 | 8–7 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 16 | April 24 | @ Reds | 7–3 (11) | Motte (1–0) | Badenhop (0–1) | — | 39,891 | 9–7 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bbb" | – | April 25 | @ Reds | colspan="6" | Postponed (inclement weather) (Makeup date: July 22) |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 17 | April 26 | @ Reds | 5–2 | Arrieta (3–1) | DeSclafani (2–1) | Rondon (4) | 38,954 | 10–7 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 18 | April 27 | Pirates | 4–0 | Hammel (2–1) | Worley (2–2) | — | 29,159 | 11–7 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 19 | April 28 | Pirates | 6–2 | Wood (2–1) | Locke (2–1) | — | 29,915 | 12–7 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 20 | April 29 | Pirates | 1–8 | Cole (4–0) | Hendricks (0–1) | — | 30,634 | 12–8
|- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 21 | May 1 | Brewers | 1–0 | Lester (1–2) | Peralta (0–4) | Rondon (5) | 31,128 | 13–8 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 22 | May 2 | Brewers | 1–6 | Fiers (1–3) | Arrieta (3–2) | — | 34,878 | 13–9 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 23 | May 3 | Brewers | 3–5 | Smith (1–0) | Strop (0–1) | Rodríguez (4) | 33,398 | 13–10 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 24 | May 4 | @ Cardinals | 9–10 | Socalovich (2–0) | Strop (0–2) | Maness (2) | 41,981 | 13–11 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 25 | May 5 | @ Cardinals | 4–7 | Harris (1–0) | Jackson (1–1) | Rosenthal (9) | 41,613 | 13–12 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 26 | May 6 | @ Cardinals | 6–5 | Lester (2–2) | Lynn (1–3) | Rondon (6) | 42,207 | 14–12 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 27 | May 7 | @ Cardinals | 1–5 | Lackey (1–2) | Arrieta (3–3) | Rosenthal (10) | 44,472 | 14–13 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 28 | May 8 | @ Brewers | 7–6 | Hammel (3–1) | Nelson (1–3) | — | 38,283 | 15–13 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 29 | May 9 | @ Brewers | 4–12 | Lohse (2–4) | Wood (2–2) | — | 39,600 | 15–14 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 30 | May 10 | @ Brewers | 2–3 (10) | Blazek (3–0) | Motte (1–1) | — | 41,467 | 15–15 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 31 | May 11 | Mets | 4–3 | Lester (3–2) | deGrom (3–4) | Rondon (7) | 32,980 | 16–15 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 32 | May 12 | Mets | 6–1 | Arrieta (4–3) | Syndergaard (0–1) | — | 31,542 | 17–15 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 33 | May 13 | Mets | 2–1 | Rondon (2–0) | Torres (1–2) | — | 33,709 | 18–15 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 34 | May 14 | Mets | 6–5 | Strop (1–2) | Niese (3–3) | Rondon (8) | 31,497 | 19–15 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 35 | May 15 | Pirates | 11–10 (12) | Jackson (2–1) | Liz (1–3) | — | 33,617 | 20–15 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 36 | May 16 | Pirates | 4–1 | Lester (4–2) | Cole (5–2) | Wood (1) | 38,883 | 21–15 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 37 | May 17 | Pirates | 0–3 | Burnett (3–1) | Arrieta (4–4) | Melancon (9) | 36,289 | 21–16 |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb" | 38 | May 19 | @ Padres | 3–4 | Benoit (4–1) | Russell (0–1) | Kimbrel (11) | 25,917 | 21–17 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 39 | May 20 | @ Padres | 3–2 | Grimm (1–0) | T. Ross (2–4) | Rondon (9) | 25.028 | 22–17 |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb" | 40 | May 21 | @ Padres | 3–0 | Hendricks (1–1) | Despaigne (2–3) | — | 30.021 | 23–17