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When the vibes for this club are as elevated as they are at this moment, it's hard to imagine what the comedown would be like—in the unlikely event it should come to that. Craig Counsell has his ball club playing at a level higher than the old Southwest Airlines Plane View Camera (RIP). There are a sparse few facets of this team to which analysts can point as weaknesses, but as the starting rotation succumbed to strategy-realigning injuries, the squad's hurlers are one of them. As the Cubs' starting rotation sits now, no one individual runs a higher risk to alter this club's fortunes for the worse than 25-year-old righty Ben Brown. Once a coveted prospect, Brown won the fifth spot in the rotation coming out of spring, by a slim margin. Theoretically, his performance to this point in the season is thrown off balance by the nature of what injuries to Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga have done to this team. Certainly, the ideal circumstance for the Cubs was to have the terrific trio of Steele, Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon mow down opposing batters and stack wins in front of the North Siders' youngsters toeing the rubber. Every five days, Ben Brown takes the hill equipped with a limited array of pitches, and he's thus watched his pitch count soar routinely, with more than a few baseballs clearing the fences of whatever ballpark he's working in. My esteemed colleague Randy Holt offered a comprehensive take on Brown's control issues, with corresponding charts for emphasis. It was a great read, and what it relayed to the audience is that Brown, trying not to groove anything with just a two-pitch mix, misses the strike zone, a lot. According to Baseball Savant, batters are hitting .304 versus his four-seam fastball, which he deploys over half the time in each of his outings. With really no other need for justification, the coaching staff has already begun working on a solution to Brown's volatility on the mound. In his most recent appearance opposite the Reds this past weekend, veteran reliever Drew Pomeranz opened, giving way to Brown after clearing the top third of the Cincinnati batting order. Perhaps his teammate spotting him those outs quelled some nerves for Brown, as he proceeded to shine in six scoreless innings. This club is in the process of keeping themselves on top and heading in the direction of postseason prosperity. Through myriad setbacks, the Cubs continue to rise to the occasion when it comes to setting the standard for their division. Clearly, Brown has a set of skills that make him an asset of value to this squad, but ideally, that would not be as a starter. With the rehabilitation of staff ace Shota Imanaga progressing in the right direction, some of the pressure on Brown's shoulders is about to be alleviated. The margins are razor-thin, but they could determine the difference between a playoff appearance, and a legitimate World Series run. What Brown can do for his team could play a deciding role. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images The astronomically high expectations fans hold for this year's Cubs don't exist in a vaccum. The talented individuals who make up the organization hold them, too. That's why this squad's success (in the face of relentless adversity rings ever more impressive.) Every week, the Chicago Cubs come together, morphing into a galvanized team that plays for each other and appears primed for the postseason. Scores of Illinoisans, from Batavia to the South Loop, will speak with anyone willing to listen about how special a place Wrigley Field is. This is an undeniable truth, but it's even better when the boys in blue win. That happened a lot this past week, in six home games. Kicking off the proceedings with three games versus the Colorado Rockies, the North Siders' commonly stout offense went missing, but the surging Jameson Taillon found a way to win. Taillon, now featuring a 3.86 ERA, was fabulous, going six and 2/3 innings in which he fanned seven batters. Dansby Swanson and Kyle Tucker delivered all of their club's scoring for the day, with three RBIs between them. The Cubs secured game one by a score of 3-1. I've hinted at the possible arrival of this squad's bullpen, which has indeed made great strides as of late, but game two of this series proved it emphatically. On another uncharacteristically anemic day for the Cubs' bats, the team plated two early runs—which would, sadly not be enough in an extra-innings contest wherein rookie pitcher Cade Horton encountered late trouble. The weary home-standers battled back from an 11th-inning deficit, with a heroic bloop single from third baseman Matt Shaw bringing home the winning run. Those theatrics earned the Cubbies the series win, 4-3. While each team possesses a core of vital role players tapped to aid in their squad's success, sometimes the stars must step up to deliver the spoils of victory. That's exactly what transpired in the third and final game of this series unfolded versus a putrid Rockies team. With Matthew Boyd sparkling on the mound through six innings, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki (two of baseball's RBI leaders) deposited two massive hits in a 2-1 victory. Crow-Armstrong launched his 15th home run of the season in the process. While a sweep of the Rockies was the presumed outcome from the outset of the series, it proved crucial in staying ahead of the Cubs' division rivals. Following an off day Thursday, the North Siders welcomed in the Cincinnati Reds for a three-game weekend set. Terry Francona's club presented as a marked step up in quality from their prior opponent in Colorado. Game one of this tilt served as a punishment for the Cubs' suddenly pedestrian offense. Starter Colin Rea suffered a rare stumble in the Friday afternoon contest, surrendering 10 hits and six earned runs. Newly acquired reliever Génesis Cabrera made his Cubs debut in what felt like a very low-leverage situation. He punched out three batters and issued one walk. The Reds used the long ball to thwart the home team, launching three devastating home runs. Not only did the North Siders lose 6-2, but in doing so, ended a dazzling run of victories in series-opening contests. The Chicago Cubs hold several intangibles that make them a winning ball club, but one paramount trait is its knack for recovering after a deflating loss. On an experimental day for the pitching staff, Drew Pomeranz opened the game, providing a buffer for the struggling Ben Brown. It proved an effective strategy, as Brown spun six innings of shutout baseball, punching out nine Reds in a very encouraging outing. Offensive contributions from Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, and Dansby Swanson allowed the North Siders to scrape together enough for a 2-0 win at the Friendly Confines. Under crystal blue skies on the North Side, the team's offense made its triumphant return in the rubber match. A confident and poised Taillon got another quality start under his belt, working efficiently and inducing pivotal ground ball outs. Michael Busch's two-run home run in the third inning set the tone for the home team. The charge returned to Busch's bat, as the Cubs infielder delivered more quality plate appearances. The 7-3 win put the North Siders four games up on the rival St. Louis Cardinals, as a nine-game road trip is set to kick off this week. Piling up wins and battle scars, this team is as unified as ever. As summer arrives, Counsell has his squad looking ready for a three-month grind that will land the Cubs a postseason berth, and perhaps much more. View full article

Image courtesy of © Katie Stratman-Imagn Images The most fervently baseball-inclined know that even what appears to be a comfortable division lead comes with a certain level of trepidation. The Chicago Cubs, a team well-versed in the game's oddities, hurdled further unexpected calamities on their way to another winning week. Relying heavily, perhaps a bit too heavily, on their offensive might, Craig Counsell's club piled up some important victories this past week. At what cost those victories may have come has yet to be seen. Familiarity does breed contempt as the Cubs kicked off the week in Miami versus the lowly Marlins. The Cubs have fared well against South Florida's major league ball club so far this season, though not with the ease of ordering a "Hurricane" cocktail from a swim-up bar on Biscayne Drive. Ben Brown took the hill in game one of a three-game series, and it has been a trend of late; he struggled. The 25-year-old righty cranked through 4 2/3 innings of work, surrendering six earned runs and seven hits. In an uncharacteristic day for the Cubbies' offense, the Marlins took the series opener 8-7. A most admirable trait of this Chicago Cubs team is its ability to wash out the bad taste of a deflating loss. They did that and a whole lot more in Game 2 of the series. Featuring one of Jameson Taillon's most impressive outings of the season, the North Siders rode a wave of consistency from the offense en route to a 14-1 thumping of Miami. Seiya Suzuki and Nico Hoerner combined for six RBI as the Cubs roared back into the series, setting up the rubber match. The finale of their second and final series in 2025 against the Marlins this season proved somewhat of a milestone as it marked the first time this year the Cubs would ascend to 10 games over .500. In perhaps one of the more impressive showings from the Cubbies' bullpen in recent memory, the club's relievers picked up the slack after a respectable start from the young Cade Horton. A combination of Caleb Thielbar, Brad Keller, and Daniel Palencia held the Fish scoreless as the Cubbies escaped with a 2-1 victory. Although the Cubs are the kings of their division, it's universally regarded as one of the weaker divisions in Major League Baseball. Riding a late-game offensive onslaught, the North Siders showed why, despite their division's reputation, they are a force to be reckoned with. Scoring just two runs before the sixth inning, the Cubbies' bats, known to cause significant damage to their opponents, erupted in the late stages of the game. In doing so, the Cubs erased a 6-2 deficit, taking the game 13-6 at Great American Ballpark. No Cub was more instrumental in the comeback than legitimate MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong. The North Siders' phenom center fielder crushed two long balls, including a go-ahead grand slam that is giving me and thousands of other Cubs fans chills at this exact moment. Colin Rea has been a pleasant surprise for the Cubs' pitching staff in 2025, but his fourth win of the season was not meant to be as the Cubs squared off versus the Reds in game two of their three-game series. Jumping out to an early 2-0 lead against the North Siders, the Reds found enough ways to hold off Chicago, even withstanding a late-inning push by Craig Counsell's squad. Replacing the injured Miguel Amaya, Carson Kelly stepped up and did not miss a beat after being unexpectedly called upon, albeit in a losing effort. The Reds walked away with game two by a score of 6-4. Sunday has been less kind to the Cubbies than a priest scolding a parishioner who's skipped church for eight straight years. But not this time. After another shaky start from Ben Brown, the Cubs' bullpen did enough for the Cubbies to hang around long enough to work their magic. After being called up in the wake of Miguel Amaya's injury, the young Reese McGuire delivered a holiday weekend memory no Cubs fan will soon forget. Mac came up big with two home runs to aid in his club's latest comeback victory. The league's RBI leader, Seiya Suzuki, capped things off with a breathtaking, 3-run bomb. The Cubs scored eight unanswered runs and boarded the plane back to O'Hare International Airport winners of a harrowing, thrilling contest. Triumphant in four of their last six games, the Cubs are back at Wrigley this week to take on baseball's worst team, the Colorado Rockies, before facing off versus this very same Cincinnati Reds squad. If you weren't already, this is the perfect time to get excited about Cubs baseball. With foundational players like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker, this team boasts the star power and determination to stay competitive in any contest, regardless of the odds. View full article

Image courtesy of © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The Cubs' victory anthem has been the song of the summer thus far. But, while the squad keeps racking up impressive, though expected, wins, there's still one thing holding this team back: injuries. Since before the season even began, the injury bug has been an unwelcome houseguest that the North Siders must vanquish. Just when the bullpen has delivered a handful of encouraging appearances, it's struck yet again, taking out the 24-year-old right-hander Porter Hodge. As brief as his absence will hopefully be, someone, or a collection of someones, must fill in the gap to keep the surging Cubbies on track. Does the club have options? Yes, they certainly do. Let's take a look at a few hurlers who can and have held opposing batters in check. One of the Cubs' most surprising intangibles is their astonishing range of experience. Drew Pomeranz, classified as a reclamation project, has stood out because, well, he gets outs. The 36-year-old Ole Miss Rebel loads the strike zone, a must for a reliever, and deals out on the mound with a steady hand. He's tallied 11 strikeouts in his 10.1 innings of work this season, earning a 0.58 WHIP relying almost exclusively on his four-seam fastball. The simplicity of his arsenal and placement of pitches from said arsenal make him the perfect late-inning reliever. He doesn't have as many innings logged as some of his other colleagues in the pen, but he's intriguing nonetheless. True of any team in the bigs, the bullpen has to tow the line in some uncomfortable situations opposite weaker opponents. Such was the case recently as the Chicago Cubs took their series versus the Miami Marlins. With their foe refusing to budge, Brad Keller carried the fate of the game on his shoulders and got a cathartic victory for his squad. With the Cubs up 2-1, Keller took the ball and looked like a pro's pro. Giving way to Daniel Palencia in the ninth inning, Keller blanked the Fish. More than that, he battled through some adversity to do so. Toting a 2.70 ERA, Keller has a more diverse array of pitches, including a respectable slider, his second-most frequently used pitch. Similar to Pomeranz, Keller possesses the poise and demeanor of a closer. In a nearly empty ballpark in Miami, quieter than after someone tells a bad joke at a funeral, they needed it and got it. Coming on as of late after more pedestrian appearances, Caleb Thielbar is starting to settle in nicely. With the North Siders starting to string together some victories featuring nice bullpen work, Thielbar has been a highlight. Alternating largely between a four-seam fastball and sweeper, Thielbar not only fills up the strike zone, but he does so as a lefty, a commodity in short supply for the Cubbies. Though he lacks the fiery personality you may look for in a late-game reliever, his steadfast presence on the mound is precisely what makes him a prime candidate to either chew up innings or come in for the final three outs. Outside of the stunning (and highly unlikely) case that the Cubs pick up a shutdown closer at the trade deadline, the North Siders have to throw who they've got out there to keep the number rising in the win column. This is an elite ball club; everyone in this organization owes it to themselves and us, the humble fans, to keep them in the tier of the "haves". While Porter Hodge's injury presents as yet another speed bump in the Cubs' path to glory, there is a capable committee of pitchers here that can and will keep the Cubbies perched at the top of the mountain. View full article

In 2023, in front of a customarily thunderous crowd at Wrigley Field, former Cub Christopher Morel hammered a walkoff home run into the bleachers in right-center field, sending an already rocking ballpark into complete delirium. A year later, Palatine, Ill. native Mike Tauchman delivered a similar feeling to the Wrigley faithful with a walkoff homer of his own. This sibling rivalry we Chicagoans get to indulge each year is never short on visceral, intense moments, but with the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox enjoying much different fortunes of late, this interleague matchup has become far more of a celebration than a baseball game. That, in my humble opinion, is a very good thing. Make no mistake about it: These contests, like all others, are imperative to the North Siders in their quest for a postseason return. Even with a mercurial bullpen, the Cubs should beat the lowly White Sox every time out. Anyone who has sat across a burger and fries from me knows how much this club's success means to me, but as I observed the happenings this past weekend, it became evident how special this rivalry is to the city of Chicago, and how deep the lines of family and brotherhood run. Taking the walk out of Murphy's Bleachers up to Clark and Addison, scores of residents of the same city gathered for an afternoon of storytelling and camaraderie. The distinct lines of black and blue, meshing together as one, people from Belfast, Ireland, all the way to Printer's Row, made their way through the gates under the iconic Wrigley Field marquee for a good time. Yes, the wins matter, and no, as both teams inevitably get to a more equal level of competition, it will not always be like this, but this was as fun as the rivalry has ever been. (Maybe White Sox fans would prefer they be the ones charging toward a deep October run. But the point is, an imbalance in the fortunes of the two teams might be the best thing for their fan bases when these series roll around.) We are a lucky bunch in Chicago. Boasting two professional baseball clubs with such a rich tradition is not a luxury smaller markets will ever know. Before my firsthand crash course in this matchup, it never made much sense to me why the average resident of this town would adorn themselves in a black jersey with names like Buehrle or Thomas stitched across the back in white letters. After spending more quality time with my South Side compatriots, I see where they're coming from. Our blood runs different colors, but our hearts beat the same. Since before the season started, I knew this Cubs team would be special. What I didn't know, however, is how external forces, even different teams that happen to play in the same city, would be such a large part of why they're special. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images I don't necessarily agree with the old sports adage that "winning solves everything," but when you're already pretty good, like the Cubs are, it solves a lot. All season long, the Chicago Cubs have proven, to great measure, that they belong in the same echelon as the game's best teams. Through statement hitting, excellent baserunning, and the bullpen's marginal improvement, this week resoundingly emphasized that point. A steadfast return to basics has the Northsiders playing the exhilarating brand of baseball we have come to both expect and marvel at since early April. Can they keep it going? There is more than enough convincing evidence to suggest they can. Wandering down the wrong social media rabbit hole will unveil much to scoff at, not the least of which is the absurd notion that the Cubs' superstar center fielder, Pete Crow-Armstrong, is bound to fall off from his astonishing production. His 2.9 WAR makes him the second-most valuable player in the National League. Were the Cubs' opponents and critics to peruse his stats on Baseball-Reference quickly, it would make their collective hands tremble like Chaz Palminteri's character at the end of "The Usual Suspects." His wide range of skills at the plate and in the outfield don't just make him a complementary piece to his exceptional teammates, but a player you can build a team around. Most of us had justifiably come around to the idea that Craig Counsell's bullpen just isn't that good. A glut of offense from Chicago's North Side team tends to mask the horrors that have crept up in close games at the hands of this club's relief pitching. Somehow, this past week, and probably not separate from their level of competition, the Cubs' pen grasped a modicum of stability. In the middle game of the Cubs' sweep versus the White Sox alone, hurlers like Brad Keller and Porter Hodge were resilient, holding the South Siders scoreless after starter Matthew Boyd left the game. If either the bullpen returns to some middle ground of performance or the club picks up an impact arm at the trade deadline, the Cubs should comfortably walk away with the division. In their contests last week, outside the division, the Cubbies were nothing if not consistent. They took the first two games of their series versus Miami with scores of 5-2 and 5-4, before dropping the finale 3-1. This weekend's tilt with the White Sox was a soft reboot to the Cubs' offense. They took the series' opener by a staggering score of 13-3, which set the tone for sound subsequent victories of 7-3 and 6-2. It was a week so nice, I think we'd like to do it all over again. Deja Vu is about to set in as the Cubs travel to Miami to take on the Marlins yet again. The Memorial Day weekend sends the Cubbies off to do battle with a division rival, the very talented Cincinnati Reds. Without question, the Cubbies will need their bats to keep humming and then some to build back their cushion atop the NL Central. If that is to come to fruition, however, the pitching rotation's youngsters will have to continue to step up. On the strength of a clear identity, prolific offense, and a middle infield returning to its Gold Glove Ways, the Chicago Cubs are becoming more reliable than delays on the CTA Red Line. By delivering victories in such convincing fashion, the North Siders have announced that they are not taking the dip in competition level on their schedule lightly. The club feels like it's reaching an inflection point in the season, where it can transition from a good team to an elite one. By the looks of it, they're making the most of that opportunity. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images I don't necessarily agree with the old sports adage that "winning solves everything," but when you're already pretty good, like the Cubs are, it solves a lot. All season long, the Chicago Cubs have proven, to great measure, that they belong in the same echelon as the game's best teams. Through statement hitting, excellent baserunning, and the bullpen's marginal improvement, this week resoundingly emphasized that point. A steadfast return to basics has the Northsiders playing the exhilarating brand of baseball we have come to both expect and marvel at since early April. Can they keep it going? There is more than enough convincing evidence to suggest they can. Wandering down the wrong social media rabbit hole will unveil much to scoff at, not the least of which is the absurd notion that the Cubs' superstar center fielder, Pete Crow-Armstrong. His 2.9 WAR makes him the second-most valuable player in the National League. Were the Cubs' opponents and critics to peruse his stats on Baseball-Reference quickly, it would make their collective hands tremble like Chaz Palminteri's character at the end of "The Usual Suspects." His wide range of skills at the plate and in the outfield don't just make him a complementary piece to his exceptional teammates, but a player you can build a team around. Most of us had justifiably come around to the idea that Craig Counsell's bullpen just isn't that good. A glut of offense from Chicago's North Side team tends to mask the horrors that have crept up in close games at the hands of this club's relief pitching. Somehow, this past week, and probably not separate from their level of competition, the Cubs' pen grasped a modicum of stability. In the middle game of the Cubs' sweep versus the White Sox alone, hurlers like Brad Keller and Porter Hodge were resilient, holding the South Siders scoreless after starter Matthew Boyd left the game. If either the bullpen returns to some middle ground of performance or the club picks up an impact arm at the trade deadline, the Cubs should comfortably walk away with the division. On the strength of a clear identity, prolific offense, and a middle infield returning to its Gold Glove Ways, the Chicago Cubs are becoming more reliable than delays on the CTA Red Line. By delivering victories in such convincing fashion, the North Siders have announced that they are not taking the dip in competition level on their schedule lightly. The club feels like it's reaching an inflection point in the season, where it can transition from a good team to an elite one. By the looks of it, they're making the most of that opportunity. View full article

Image courtesy of © Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Through their recent adversity, the Chicago Cubs haven't crashed back down to Earth. However, they do seem to be flying at a lower altitude. For a squad that spent the first six weeks of the season earning the trust of even its most skeptical observers, the 2-5 record the North Siders have produced in their last seven contests feels more like a freefall than the minor hiccup it is most likely to be. Dropping back-to-back series against the Giants and Mets, while less than desirable, is no cause to sound the alarm. There were still a handful of positives to glean from this past week of Cubs baseball. It's no secret that the team's recent string of pitching injuries has dimmed the excitement of a strong start. However, those very setbacks also gave us the exciting arrival of top pitching prospect, Cade Horton. In his minor-league career, Horton boasted a sub-3.00 ERA and struck out just shy of 200 batters. In his debut versus the Mets, much of what's made him great so far in the lower circuit carried over to the big leagues. After Brad Keller blanked the Mets in the first inning of a nationally televised game from Citi Field, the 23-year-old Horton took the hill for four innings of poised pitching. What had to stick out most was Horton's confidence on the mound. Facing New York's murderer's row of boppers, Horton looked sharp and steadfast, bending but not breaking under the bright lights. Let this first appearance make it known: Cade Horton is a major-league pitcher. I will fault no one for getting caught up in the thrill of the Cubs' bright future, because as fate would have it, that was one of the few highlights of this past week. With the hated St. Louis Cardinals creeping ever closer to the Cubs' top spot in the National League Central, pressure is steadily rising to fix the North Siders' subpar bullpen. This club's stable of relievers—even the usually good Porter Hodge—continues to give up baserunners with less than two outs; sharply-hit line drives; and seemingly avoidable jams. This squad's offense, high-powered as it may be, can't realistically be called upon to shoulder the bulk of the work every night. It's up to the bullpen to secure wins for this team, and right now, that just isn't happening consistently. Nobody said reclaiming the NL Central crown would be easy. The good news is, this next stretch of the season actually should be. The "easy" part of the schedule we all longed for throughout March and April finally begins this week, with the Marlins, White Sox, Reds and Rockies taking up the Cubs' time for the balance of May. With that said, nothing has changed for this squad. They can take a hit with the very best of this league, and when at full strength or close to it, there are few other clubs that rival the one on Chicago's North Side. The heavyweight took some heavy hits; now they need to come out swinging for their next round. View full article

Image courtesy of Matt Marton-Imagn Images There's nothing funny about injuries at any level of sport. In baseball, we tend to avoid speaking of it, as though it's an unwritten rule of the game, much like keeping tight-lipped while some of the games' more impressive feats play out. Well, it would seem that strategy is ill-conceived in 2025 for the Chicago Cubs. With ace hurler Shota Imanaga going on the 15-day IL nearly a week ago with a left hamstring strain, the North Siders are down yet another game-changing pitcher. Already missing Justin Steele (for the season), and Imanaga out for at least his next couple starts, it appears the Cubbies must now look to more unlikely sources to maintain their grip on the Nl Central. We could ask for an act of God, though knowing that the new pope is (reportedly) a White Sox fan diminishes those odds. No, Craig Counsell's squad, as it often does to great effect, must work with what they've got. Though you may not like it, Matthew Boyd is the perfect individual to hold down the fort while his fellow starters recuperate. We have spoken, albeit briefly, about the veteran presence of any given starting pitcher, whether or not, in fact, they can be classified as such. Folks like Paul Skenes of the Pirates, and to a lesser extent Jackson Jobe of the Tigers, prove that starting pitcher is a young man's position. With any luck, Cade Horton will quickly ascend to those heights as well. There is, however, something to be said for additional years of service, and having the even-keeled demeanor of someone who has "been there" before. Matthew Boyd fits that mold. Owner of a 3-2 record and a 0.9 WAR in 2025, there is nothing too remarkable about Matthew Boyd as a starting pitcher in the majors. Might I propose that's exactly what makes him the perfect individual for this moment? He's been with more clubs than Tiger Woods. One would surmise that his time with the Guardians in 2024 , including an impressive postseason run to the ALCS when Boyd allowed just one run in 11 2/3 innings, is what caught the attention of the Cubs' brass. Through battling through adversity, he's learned what it takes to survive, or in other words, he's proof that the term "battle tested" holds clout. He hasn't changed much since that run with the Guardians, beyond the fact he uses his curve more than his sinker now. It's actually a pretty interesting movement profile, where his fastball, sinker and changeup all have roughly the same amount of arm-side run, with their velocities and vertical break being the primary differentiators. As for his glove-side moving pitches, the slider barely breaks vertically at all, while his curve exists more in the "slurve" model than on a 12-6 plane. Boyd gets by on the concept of "swing decisions", i.e., he tunnels his pitches well and forces hitters to guess at what offering they're actually seeing. It might not quite be the profile of a surefire "ace" with overpowering stuff or air-bending breaking balls, but the southpaw can make it all work, especially as long as he continues to dial up his four-seamer to career-high levels. Some of the teams I grew up loving the most, like the 2006 Detroit Tigers, adopted the mantra: "If it ain't rough, it ain't right." In their case, featuring a breathtaking run to the World Series, it almost worked. They were bested by one of the scrappiest St. Louis Cardinals teams in league history, but they largely got the job done. With contender blood coursing through their veins, perhaps this Chicago Cubs ball club can be seen in a similar light. And maybe Matthew Boyd is the face of it all. View full article

Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images What's more dangerous than confidence? The skill to back it up. Quite succinctly, Craig Counsell's ball club, minus its lingering pitching concerns, is the gold standard in the game of baseball in 2025. May has brought vibrantly blooming flowers to the Chicago Cubs, even as more puzzling concerns arise for the pitching staff. By knocking off two division opponents in a row—on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers—the Cubs have settled into what we expect to be a successful summer stretch, affixing them firmly atop the NL Central. How do they do it? By being themselves. As baseball pundits on the North Side and beyond proposed last season ad nauseam, this Cubs lineup is too talented not to produce, but alas, it never really did. At least, not when it mattered. This season, with a much more comfortable skipper in his second year at the helm, and one of the best hitters of his generation at the top of the order, the lineup those pundits were referencing is here. With top to bottom production, the Cubbies had 58 hits and 36 runs combined over their last two series. In one of those games, the series finale in Milwaukee, they were shut out. But, at the start of that series in particular, the Cubs were lights out. Drowning out their hospitable northern neighbors, audible "Let's Go Cubbies" chants filled the retractable roof confines of American Family Field this past Friday night. The scores of Cubs fans in attendance witnessed their squad jump all over the Brew Crew, helping the young and still very inexperienced Ben Brown enjoy a mostly quiet night from the mound in a 10-0 rout. Crew fans hoping to engage in some playful trash talk with their rival guests ate crow. Actually, it was Pete Crow-Armstrong serving up humble pie to the Brew Crew, as his star continues to ascend to dizzying heights. In the Milwaukee series alone, Crow-Armstrong smashed three no-doubter home runs (and nearly a fourth), driving in a total of five runs in the process. He's made himself a swath of enemies in Milwaukee County, and that bodes quite well for us fans of the North Siders. Clear as the view of the Chicago skyline from a Gold Coast penthouse, the Cubs, anchored by Kyle Tucker, Ian Happ, Michael Busch, and others, are a problem offensively and mostly defensively for any team they square off against. Where this club's vulnerabilities lie is in its woefully inconsistent bullpen. It's hard to call this an all-out weakness, as the Cubs sit comfortably in first place in the division, but, exacerbated by his previous dreadful outing, Cubs reliever Julian Merryweather imploded in his sixth inning relief appearance on Sunday. After Shota Imanaga was forced to leave the game with a left hamstring strain, Merryweather took the bump in a high-leverage situation which featured the Brewers threatening with the go-ahead run at third base in a 0-0 game and two outs. He immediately proceeded to throw a wild pitch past catcher Miguel Amaya, allowing the runner at third to score easily. The Crew would go on to score three more in the inning on an uncharacteristic off day for the Cubs' offense. That game was simply a microcosm of a larger issue for the team, mainly onset by the mounting injuries to the North Siders' starting pitching rotation. With the club winning at the rate that they are, the front office must address a bullpen that could very likely get called on to do more as the squad remedies its unexpected starting pitching ailments. Luckily, the Chicago Cubs are an elite team that won't stay down for long. As it encounters more and more inevitable obstacles, the unflinching drive and sheer talent of this team should keep the organization focused on its mission: get in the postseason and do damage... even if they experience some delays in getting there. View full article

We all have unrealistically high expectations of what the Chicago Cubs should be. They are meeting them all, so far. Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images Much more than laying the foundation for winning baseball in 2025, the Cubs have outplayed a slate of daunting opponents. Raised eyebrows at some questionable non-moves this winter have, by and large, given way to raised arms at the corner of Clark and Addison. It's a misnomer to call any part of a 162-game major-league season easy, but compared to what they've just come through, the Cubs should find the next month or so a good bit less stressful. The journey to October is well underway, tedious but necessary roster moves and all. As the club will at times demonstrate, not every deficit can be erased, and the team (while verging on elite) has some serious concerns in the bullpen to shore up. As Ryan Pressly puts in good work in his last few outings, shaking his "Ryan Stressly" moniker, Porter Hodge—12 years Pressly's junior—continues to look reliable. Hodge creates a lot of swing-and-miss. Beyond those two, it's not yet clear who will emerge as consistent and trustworthy for Craig Counsell. With the remainder of the National League Central faltering, the North Siders are well-positioned to maintain their lead through the coming summer months. There's still miles to go before we see the most complete version of this ball club. Even the most brightly optimistic supporters of this squad, like me, know that the Cubs aren't as dominant as they have sometimes appeared. But, already winners of six series on the season against stout opponents, they're pretty darn good. The weekend's series loss to the Phillies was a sobering reminder that big tests remain, even after the team finished their regular-season slates against the Diamondbacks, Padres and Dodgers. After an impressive opener, the Cubs dropped the next two contests to the visitors from Philadelphia, including an extra-inning pitcher's duel where Aaron Nola delivered his best outing of the 2025 season. Jameson Taillon also settled in nicely, and the team will need him to keep being that good in the weeks and months ahead. One aspect of this club's success that simply can't go unnoticed is the quality of skipper Craig Counsell. In his second year with the Chicago Cubs, Counsell feels more like the baseball wizard fans thought they were getting when the organization announced his astonishing hire. Simply put, he seems like he's happy to be a Cub. This isn't a direct quote, but Bruce Wayne, the protector of Chicago's alter ego Gotham City, preached the notion that the city deserves to have something to believe in. The North Siders have provided that hope this spring. Now, they need to keep it alive all summer. View full article

Don't let great be the enemy of good. Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images (Famous last words, but) This is not a thinkpiece. When it comes to Kyle Tucker as a Cub, it's practical advice for all of us who call ourselves the faithful of Chicago's North Side ball club. What is the advice, you ask? Enjoy yourself. Earlier this week, Jed Hoyer, Cubs President of Baseball Operations, joined 670 The Score's mid-day program to discuss (among other topics) the organization's prospects of extending their megastar right fielder Kyle Tucker. "He will have a lot of suitors ... Who wouldn't want a player like that?" Hoyer asked, rhetorically. Well, to answer your question, Jed, no one. With seven long balls and 25 runs batted in already in the 2025 season, Tucker is the rare type of generational player who gets immediately enshrined in his team's Hall of Fame. And if this is his one and only year as a Chicago Cub, so be it. A few years ago, I went on a lot of dates—some of them really good, some of them so bad that they didn't need to be captured on film to go viral. There were a couple of these individuals I really liked, and the feeling was at least mutual (sometimes). A third, fourth or perhaps fifth date got me thinking something could really be percolating here. And then? Nothing. Rapidly declining text threads, cryptic responses, and on to the next one. They just weren't that into me. The same can be said of Tucker. If Hoyer (or anyone else inside the Cubs organization) thinks Tucker is likely to shower the club—or even our great city of Chicago—with effusive praise, they're dreaming. Just as with other major player extensions we've seen across the league, the player is worth whatever a franchise is willing to pay them. So I offer you this, fine reader: If Kyle Tucker wants to be a cub for the next 10 years, sing with jubilation and welcome it with open arms. If he doesn't, let him go. Tucker, while an outstanding player in every way, will not save this franchise. Nor will his departure kill it. The Cubs, fresh off a 2-game series sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, are a legitimate contender. You don't have to go to Starved Rock to see the forest for the trees. All you need to do is, check yourself, and have a good time watching one of the best baseball teams on the planet. In Aladdin, Genie told his master not to wish for more wishes. I'm going to echo that sentiment right now. It doesn't matter if Tucker (or, for that matter, Pete Crow-Armstrong) plays for the Chicago Cubs for a longer term than that for which he's currently signed. They play for us right now. Every home run soaring onto Waveland, every stolen base, and every banner raised this season will be for the Cubs. Creating memories to outlast any contract. What you're waiting for is right in front of you. View full article

Down, but never out. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The biggest question around the 2025 Cubs so far is the kind you like to find yourself asking, come late April: Is this team really as good as they appear to be? An ongoing narrative is the North Siders' arduous April schedule. With the month that has lasted a year finally leaning toward its close, though, the Cubbies are in terrific shape to finish the month at or above .500. That's despite some adversity, and that grueling slate. It doesn't take an aesthetic specialist to explain that Craig Counsell's club doesn't always win pretty, but they do often win. Look no further than the breathtaking Friday 1:20 game that unfolded this past week. In a contest that woke from a half-slumber mid-game and became a high-stakes slugfest, the Cubs' bullpen fell victim to a surreal eighth-inning meltdown. The top of the inning in question saw back-end rotation hopeful Jordan Wicks almost immediately load the bases in a game the Cubs led 7-1. It spiraled from there, thanks not only to Wicks being hit hard but to Arizona's dangerous power, the hitter-friendly winds, and a couple of Cubs miscues. Of course, you know full well how the game ended. Bouncing off the mat and coming up swinging more fiercely than ever, the Cubs put six runs back on the Arizona pen, on the strength of home runs by Carson Kelly, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki. It was thunderous and wonderful and, in a season that has already seen this dynamic offense deliver some blowout wins, a rare close game that broke their way in the end. Any disappointment felt by anyone with a stake in this organization stems from witnessing such great baseball thus far, that we expect even more success. The club certainly has its warts. What could have been a sweep versus the Arizona Diamondbacks suddenly transformed into a deflating 3-2 defeat in extra innings, rain delays and all. The culprit in this tilt was a deafening silence from the bats, but they had opportunities to win, anyway. Failures to execute in a couple of key moments cost them those shots. Much of the reason not to bat an eyelash at any of the adversity the team has faced thus far, is the club's resiliency. Currently sitting atop their division, the Cubs have won five series on the young season, against stout opponents with winning pedigrees. Paradoxically, when a team is good enough to engender raised expectations, every loss hurts more. If you're left feeling let down after Tucker gets out on a called third strike, it's because he's such an extraordinary player. Beyond the superstardom of Tucker, the Cubs lineup doesn't strike you as something to display at the Art Institute, but they're their own movement. Seiya Suzuki, a vastly underrated hitter, is coming fully into his own this spring. The team's role players have stepped up early on with some big hits and some manufactured runs. A long road to the postseason awaits the Cubs, a squad still searching for defensive security at certain spots on the field. The current rotational nature of the third base position poses unique challenges to a clubhouse that otherwise has clear staples around the diamond. Matt Shaw's return to Iowa was necessary, but it leaves them scrambling. Justin Steele's injury was foreseeable, but it's still hard to work around. Baseball is a war of attrition, waged daily over a long campaign. Outplaying opponents is important, but so is outlasting them. The goal should be, in more matchups than not, to be the team creating more danger and stress for the opponent than they create for you. Against some awfully good teams, the Cubs have managed to do that a majority of the time. View full article