The Chicago Cubs are for real.
The North Siders have surprised the baseball world by becoming one of MLB's best teams through the first two months of the 2025 campaign. After missing the playoffs last year, the Cubs are on pace to win 101 games, own the National League’s best run differential (+95) and the NL’s second-best record (35–21), behind only the Philadelphia Phillies. While Chicago has gotten solid pitching thus far, the team's offense has been the difference maker.
Behind the emergence of former glove-first prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki slugging at a career-high rate and Kyle Tucker playing like a guy who wants a $500 million contract, the Cubs are bludgeoning opposing pitching. Their offense ranks alongside the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers as one of the best in baseball, leading the majors in runs scored.
Chicago’s offense is a well-oiled, versatile machine. The Cubs hit for power, they hit for average, they get on base, they come through with runners in scoring position and they are arguably MLB’s best baserunning team.
We're going inside the numbers to show just how dominant the Cubs' offense has been so far in 2025.
5.89 — Runs scored per game by the Cubs, the best in baseball. It is a 1.35 run per game increase from 2024.
6 — Number of regular field players that have produced 1.2 or more WAR, tied with the Dodgers for the most in MLB.
7 — Number of Cubs regulars with an OPS+ of 102 or higher, the most in the National League and tied with the Yankees for the most in baseball.
123 — Team OPS+, third in baseball behind the Yankees and Dodgers, and a 23-point increase year-over-year.
.262 — Team batting average, second in MLB and a 20-point increase from 2024.
.335 — Team on-base percentage, fourth in MLB and an 18-point increase from 2024.
212 — Walks by the Cubs this season, third in MLB behind the Yankees and the Dodgers.
.450 — Team slugging percentage, third in MLB behind the Yankees and Dodgers. An improvement of more than 50 points from 2024 (.393).
79 — Team home runs, third in MLB behind ... the Yankees and Dodgers.
.880 — Team OPS with runners in scoring position, second in MLB behind the Dodgers.
85.7% — Team stolen base percentage, the best in baseball. The Cubs have stolen 72 bases, third-most in MLB behind the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, on 84 attempts.
51 — RBIs by Seiya Suzuki, the most in MLB, one more than teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong.
.921 — OPS by Cubs catchers, the best mark in the NL. Career years from Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya have given Chicago another unexpected source of offense in the lineup.
142 — Crow-Armstrong's OPS+, a 54-point jump from 2024 (88).
159 — OPS+ of Kyle Tucker, best on the Cubs and seventh in the National League.
2.5 — Offensive WAR generated by Tucker, second in the NL behind Shohei Ohtani (2.8.) Crow-Armstrong is fourth at 2.4.
25 — Double plays hit into by Cubs hitters, tied for the fewest in baseball.
2 — Times the Cubs have been shut out in 2025, the fewest in baseball.
1.9 — WAR generated by Javy Baez in 47 games for the Mets in 2021. The Cubs received Pete Crow-Armstrong from the Mets for Baez and Trevor Williams on July 30, 2021.
3.2 — WAR generated by Crow-Armstrong through 56 games in 2024. He leads the National League.
$771,000 -- Crow-Armstrong's salary for the 2025 season, making him baseball's best bargain.
Chicago's offense is explosive while also being balanced and well-constructed. When general manager Jed Hoyer traded for Tucker this offseason, some were surprised he added such an expensive rental to a team generally believed to be at least a year away from contention. It seemed like an expensive gamble. He clearly saw something others didn't.
Crow-Armstrong has become a legitimate MVP candidate in his second full season, as he’s the only player with at least 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases thus far. He's an elite defender who has already solidified his place among MLB's best two-way stars.
Given the depth and balance of the lineup, there is zero reason to believe the Cubs' offense will slow down any time soon.
