Hello Cubs World, 

After dissecting Hoyer's strategy for the past three months, I came to the conclusion we are the clear division favorite this year; moreover, even if missing on the division, we are a practical lock for a wild card. So, let's high five about that. 

In today's blog piece, I'll go over reasons to really be pumped about this team.

Top 12 Reasons to be Excited.

1) Fangraphs and Zips predict Cubs as third-best overall record in MLB.  Enough said- that's a strong endorsement. 

2) Cubs should have top 8 Pitching. We don't have the flashiest top two pitchers, but they are both competing for 2nd team all-MLB performance this year. The biggest concern is whether our top bullpen pieces collapse - there's no strong indication we have a top 8 closer on our roster, or adequate left handed bullpen.

3) Cubs should have top 8 Slugging. Hoyer may have done "just enough" to have assembled a gig step forwards in power from last year. Kyle Tucker beats Cody Bellinger; Matt Shaw beats "3b rotational mess"; Justin Turner should beat Patrick Wisdom; and, Jon Berti should demolish Nick Madrigal. Plus, PCA and Busch are both likely to take a small step forward in power as sophomore starters. 

4) The Cubs can FIELD. No, really. I can't remember a time when the Cubs last had a serious shot at gold glove at 6 positions. Happ, PCA, Tucker, Swanson, Hoerner, and Busch. I mean, wow. And, Berti's a truly great utility guy. This may be the best fielding team in the Majors this year, but definitely top 5.  

5) Cubs can RUN and STEAL. With the additions of Workman, Berti, and Tucker, the Cubs are absolutely STACKED with good baserunning. I predict they are 2nd or 3rd best in the league at this statistic. Some realistic estimates: 200 team Stolen Bases. PCA, 55, Hoerner 30, Tucker 25, Berti 20, Workman 15, Swanson, 15, Happ 10, Suzuki 10, Shaw 10, Other 10. 

6) Pete Crow-Armstrong. This kid is going to put on a show and earn his first Gold Glove. Not only that, he's gonna clobber right-handed pitchers (.750-.800 OPS range). Unfortunately, I don't see a big upside to his poor lefty splits- but that won't matter with all our platoon options.  

7) Michael Busch. Look. Busch was the 9th best overall first baseman last year and could easily be the 5th-7th best in 2025. I covered this in a prior blogpost. With another year of MLB hitting experienced, this "professional slugger" should crank up his RHP results to .800 or higher OPS, and vs LHP to at least .720.  

😎 Matt Shaw. There's so much pressure on this kid; however, I feel like he will be good at 3rd, but eventually evolve into the best 2B on the Cubs since Ryne Sandberg. He has the potential to peak as a .300 / .400 / .500 type hitter with 20-30 SB, but not in the next two years. For now, .730-.770 OPS, 10 SB, and a league average glove makes sense. 

9) The Young Bullpen Guys. Porter Hodge, Tyson Miller, Ben Brown, and Nate Pearson were fantastic last year for the Cubs. The 40 Man depth in AAA is loaded with guys capable of giving great innings. If Pressly/Brasier falter or get hurt, there's reason to believe their absence may not be terribly missed.    

10) What if Matthew Boyd really DOES IT AGAIN? It may be a bit hopeful, still...Boyd did unlock something quite new in 2024. His pitching style was consistently more successful with a new pitch arsenal. If he could seriously repeat a sub 3 ERA season of at least 28 appearances and over 9.5 SO/9 Innings- I give it 1/3rd chance - he could push the Cubs towards 100 wins and a serious World Series run. 

11) Kyle...effing...Tucker. Before Cubs snagged this guy, I said that Tucker was my #1 player in MLB to target for a big, long term Cubs contract in 2026. A better fit than Soto or Judge, Tucker profiles as a 5 tool all-star chasing player for the next 9 years. Plus, he's a generally healthy guy. I expect him to turn in a roughly .900 OPS performance and give the fans another Gold Glove. Ricketts may surprise everyone and make Tucker the face of the franchise for the next 10 years. Fans over-estimate how many bidders there will be- of the biggest market teams, you've only got a few serious bidders for a superstar RF. Everyone already has one! Yankees and Mets already have that guy. Same with the Dodgers, Braves, Brewers, Phillies... etc. The Cubs may walk away as the winner for 10 years, 400 million, backloaded annual ladder with only 35 million in year 1, and then...... add another 50 million deferred signing bonus in years 11, 12, and 13 which would not be payable if Tucker or Cubs choose to opt out early by season 5 .... could vary quite a bit depending on his 2025 season. Ricketts could invest in ONE brand value player who's worth more than just his field performance in revenue - the big draw, the jersey seller. 

12) The Division Stinks. Hey, They Know it, Too. Everyone's got good pitchers. Everyone's got a few great guys in their lineup. However, nobody has the depth or completeness as the Cubs. And, the Brewers are projected to have gotten worse since 2024. The Reds are the only team that may "Surprise" and overperform/ mid-season spend, but even still, I don't see them catching us.  

The pitching situation is gonna be wild ride this year, with brutal repercussions for guys that slump. We could see several guys get cut or traded, and who knows WHO gets hurt these days- the injury rate is so high. However, I'm confident the fans are gonna love the excellent hitting, fielding, and baserunning no matter what.