Unsung Contributors Are Reinforcing Cubs' Offense

[Bryan Jaeger]

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Cubs' offense has been as deep as it has been explosive this year, with contributions coming from both superstars and role players alike. wOBA (weighted On-Base Average) is an alternative version of on-base percentage that accounts for how a player gets on base rather than just getting on base. This stat metric gives fans a better idea of which players are contributing most to scoring runs.

For such an essential offensive stat, fans would assume superstars Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, and Pete Crow-Armstrong, who are supplanted in the everyday lineup and are having standout seasons, would be the three players leading the team. However, only one of these players are in the top three after the team's July 10 game (though all of them are in the top five).

Tucker is second on the list with a .383 wOBA and 150 wRC+, but the players in first and third on the wOBA list probably weren't the betting favorites prior to the season. Among players to have taken at least 100 plate appearances with the Cubs, Michael Busch and Carson Kelly round out the top three, finishing first and third, respectively. Busch has a .401 wOBA and 162 wRC+, and Kelly has a .380 wOBA and 148 wRC+. Kelly has played in at least 30 less games than Tucker, Suzuki, and PCA, and holds a narrow lead over the latter two (.368 and .367).

Busch is in his second full MLB season but is on pace for a lot of offseason award recognition. The first baseman is hitting .296/.381/.553 with 18 home runs, 44 runs, and 58 knocked in. He's also dropped his strikeout percentage this season, from 28.6 percent last year down to 22.1 percent.

A significant portion of his success stems from putting off-speed and breaking pitches in play. According to Baseball Savant, the 27-year-old's wOBA on breaking pitches in 2024 was .311, which in 2025 has increased to .373; against off-speed pitches, the improvement is even more pronounced (.302 to .508). Plus, he's barreling the ball more often, increasing his  2024 barrel rate from 11.2 percent to 15.1 percent this season. So, Busch isn't just putting the ball in play more frequently; he's also getting more solid contact.

Kelly is platooning at catcher with Reese McGuire while Miguel Amaya is on the injured list. Kelly is in his seventh MLB season. The 30-year-old wasn't expected to be a huge offensive contribution this year. He hasn't been great in recent years at the plate, with 2019 marking his career-best season, which featured 18 home runs, 46 runs, and 47 knocked in. Since then, he's only had one season in which he hit more than 10 home runs.

This season, Kelly has 11 home runs, 34 runs, and 31 RBIs, easily putting him on pace for career numbers in nearly every regard.  The veteran is seeing the same improvements as Busch, but against fastballs and breaking balls. Kelly improved his output a lot against breaking stuff, increasing his wOBA on such offerings from .248 last season to .364 this season. He also improved his wOBA facing fastballs from .338 to .417.

These adjustments at the plate are significant reasons why Busch and Kelly are having career seasons and are contributors in the middle of a potent lineup. As players like Crow-Armstrong, Tucker, and Suzuki garner much of the national spotlight, don't forget how the unsung contributors are making this offense whole.

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