Chicago Cubs 2025 Position Analysis: Designated Hitter

I am offering a virtual high five to anyone who can name the Cubs’ Opening Day starter at designated hitter in the first three seasons since the National League adopted the position full-time in 2022. 

Any takers? You might have gotten 2024 correct. It was Christopher Morel, with Nick Madrigal starting at third base. In 2023, it was Trey Mancini. Remember that disaster? 2022 was Rafael Ortega. 

This is to say that not only did the Cubs’ acquisition of Kyle Tucker improve the team in right field, but bumping Seiya Suzuki to the presumptive everyday designated hitter, it also improved the team there. The Cubs got a lot of production out of that lineup spot since Suzuki moved over there in the middle of last season, and now enter the season with one of the rosiest projections at that position that they have ever had. 

Cubs Designated Hitters At A Glance
Starter: Seiya Suzuki

Backup: Justin Turner

Depth: any hitter that Craig Counsell wants to remain in the lineup but wants to give them a day off from playing in the field

Cubs fWAR Ranking Last Year: 9th out of 30

Cubs fWAR Projection This Year: 7th out of 30

The Good
The good boils down to one person: Suzuki. The Japanese standout has improved in his three seasons in MLB, going from 118 wRC+ in 2022 to 128 in 2023 to 138 this past season. 

He was always able to hit the ball hard. Baseball Savant said his 91.7 average exit velocity was in the 87th percentile. Last season, he could finally hit the ball in the air much more consistently. His ground ball rate went from 40 percent and 43.1 percent in 2022 and 2023, respectively, to 33.7 percent in 2024. His fly ball rate jumped from 34.4 percent in 2023 to 46.9 percent this past season. 

Given that he produced a 163 wRC+ and all 21 home runs on fly balls, this was a profitable change for Suzuki. A 138 wRC+ is asking a lot of anyone; however, if he can continue elevating the ball, there’s no reason he can’t be one of the most productive designated hitters in baseball, solidly in the group of guys slotted just behind Shohei Ohtani and Yordan Alvarez. 

Justin Turner figures to come second in the pecking order after Suzuki. He’ll see plenty of time at DH on days the Cubs want to give any one of Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, or Ian Happ a day off and slot Suzuki into the outfield somewhere. He’s had an above-average batting line in every season since 2014 and has also taken plenty of plate appearances as a designated hitter lately, so he should be used to it. 

The Bad
Will Suzuki accept the role full-time? His agent, Joel Wolfe, insinuated earlier this offseason that Suzuki was not thrilled with only being a designated hitter. 

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic has since reported that Craig Counsell and Suzuki have been working through some communication barriers and that Suzuki is ready to do whatever the team needs of him. “My job is to give it my all, so if it is to DH, if it is to play the field, I’ll give it my best.”

Will Suzuki play the field enough to remain happy? Will it affect his performance at the plate if he is primarily a designated hitter?

The Bottom Line
The Cubs are as well positioned at designated hitter as ever. The team combined for -0.8 Fangraphs WAR and a below-league-average batting line from the position in 2022 and 2023. They finally turned it into a position of strength last season when Suzuki started playing there every day, and on top of that, they have another guy in Turner, who should be an above-average hitter to back him up. 

I am an optimist; I am not particularly worried about how Suzuki will adapt to being a DH daily. He only played 73 games in the outfield last season, and his offensive performance did not suffer. Injuries and days off will happen. There’s no reason he can’t be rotated into left or right field every week to keep Tucker or Happ off their feet. Suzuki even played center field in an exhibition game this week, which our own Matthew Trueblood is optimistic about.

Suzuki can continue to do what he has done since coming to MLB: designated hitter figures to finally be a position of strength for the Cubs, rather than a position where they roll the dice on a particular matchup they feel good about on any given day.