5 Bold Predictions for the 2025 Chicago Cubs

With his neck injury in the rear view mirror and a starting rotation spot secure, Ben Brown will have the runway to emerge as a force on the Cubs' pitching staff this year. Brown already has starting experience at the major league level, striking out 64 batters with a 3.58 ERA over 15 games last season. 

Half of those appearances were out of the bullpen, but Brown now hast he opportunity to parlay his talents into a long-term rotation job. Standing at 6'6, the 25-year-old brings much-needed velocity to the staff with his fastball averaging 96.4 mph in 2024. Brown's other main delivery is a nasty knuckle curveball that induced a whiff rate of 51% in 2024, giving him two plus weapons with a changeup also in the works. 

Brown arguably has the best swing and miss stuff in the Cubs' rotation and there's a good chance he solidifies himself in 2025. With four additional years of team control after this season, having a young starter of Brown's caliber will be extremely valuable for the Cubs for the rest of the 2020s. 

2. PCA becomes the leadoff hitter and leads the league in stolen bases

Although Ian Happ is a solid leadoff hitter with great plate discipline, Pete Crow-Armstrong's speed may force Craig Counsell to make a lineup change during the season.

If Crow-Armstrong can replicate and improve upon his second-half numbers at the plate from last year, it will be hard to keep him out of the leadoff spot. His elite speed is perfect for the top of the lineup, and he has a unique ability to manufacture runs by simply putting the ball in play. 

There are very few players with the kind of speed that consistently puts pressure on defenders and often forces them to make errors. But Crow-Armstrong is one of those guys and having him leadoff games could be a game-changing weapon. 

It's almost routine that the speedy 23-year-old will attempt to steal if he is standing at first base and his stolen base numbers could ascend to insane levels in 2025. He was able to collect 27 stolen bases in just 410 plate appearances in 2024, and that included a major slump at the plate for a significant portion of the season. 

With a starting job in center field and hopefully an improved approach at the plate, it's not hard to imagine Crow-Armstrong vying for the top of the stolen base leaderboard. Elly De La Cruz, who swiped 67 bags (1st in MLB) for Cincinnati last year, will likely be Crow-Armstrong's main rival, adding an extra layer of competition to the NL Central battle. 

3. Suzuki finally breaks out and hits 30 home runs

Now that Seiya Suzuki will be the Cubs' full-time designated hitter, it feels like he will finally reach the slugging heights that some expected him to deliver when he first came over from Japan. Suzuki certainly hasn't been bad, and he was arguably the team's most consistent hitter in 2024 with a .283/.366/.482 slash line and a 138 wRC+. 

But now that he doesn't have to focus on fielding as much, and with Kyle Tucker offering more lineup protection, the circumstances are in place for Suzuki to take a step forward at the plate this year. He hasn't been able to overcome the 21 home run mark in his first three seasons in Chicago, but the stage is set for him to use his underrated power to see him eclipse 30. 

Staying healthy for the entire season should also be easier for Suzuki, who will likely only play the outfield to give Tucker an occasional rest day. 

4. Michael Busch leads the team in RBIs and wins a gold glove

After trading for Michael Busch last off-season, the left-handed hitter solidified himself in the lineup to give the Cubs a solid answer at first base, a position they had been struggling to fill since the Anthony Rizzo trade in 2021. In his first full season in the majors, Busch swatted 21 home runs and drove in 65 with a 119 weighted runs created per out (wRC+). 

Counsell has been giving Busch the cleanup spot in the lineup this Spring Training, and he would get a lot of RBI chances if he remains there during the regular season. The guys who figure to hit in front of Busch all posted high on-base percentages in 2024, including Happ (.341), Suzuki (.366), and Tucker (.408). Busch will need to prove he can hit against lefties, which he did moderately well (103 wRC+) over a small sample size of 100 plate appearances in 2024. 

Not only does Busch have the potential to break out even more at the plate, but the 27-year-old could also add some defensive accolades to his resumé. Busch made massive improvements to his skills at first base in 2024, and he looked like an elite defender by the end of the year. Christian Walker, the reigning National League Gold Glove winner at first base, has moved to the American League after signing with the Astros. Bryce Harper and Matt Olson were the other two finalists for the award, and Busch is several years younger than either man.

5. The Cubs win 90 games and win NL Central

After adding a legitimate MVP talent in Tucker, rebuilding the bullpen, and letting Counsell fill out his own coaching staff, the Cubs are in the best shape to win the National League Central as they ever have been in the Jed Hoyer era. 

Tucker's addition could have a profound impact on the rest of the lineup, and finally give the team an offensive rock that could mitigate the impact of prolonged slumps. Improved production from Crow-Armstrong, Suzuki, Busch and Miguel Amaya could also be major factors. 

In addition to the coaching staff, Counsell's fingerprints are all over the team's new bench players. Counsell is a manager that values speed and defensive versatility, qualities that Jon Berti and Gage Workman bring to the table more profoundly than Patrick Wisdom, Nick Madrigal, and Michael Tauchman ever did. Justin Turner also brings over a decade of MLB experience to the clubhouse, leadership qualities, and an enigmatic personality that young players can benefit from. 

The NL Central is also in a fairly vulnerable spot, with the St. Louis Cardinals likely about to commence a full rebuild. The Pittsburgh Pirates will have a competitive starting rotation, but their lineup lacks All-Star caliber talent. The Cincinnati Reds have the opposite problem, with a suspect pitching staff but a potent lineup with legendary manager Terry Francona at the helm. 

The Milwaukee Brewers will most likely be the Cubs' main competition, which has been the status quo for much of the last decade. But the Cubs' improvements may finally be enough to return the team to the playoffs for the first time in a non-COVID year since 2018.