A Look at the Chicago Cubs' 2025 Opening Day Roster

The Chicago Cubs have officially set their Opening Day roster for the 2025 season, which will commence with a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. 

Infield (5): Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Matt Shaw, Miguel Amaya

The Cubs starting infield will be almost identical to 2024, with rookie Matt Shaw being the only exception. At just 23 years old, Shaw is being thrust into the starting job at the hot corner where he has looked pretty comfortable this Spring. He passes the eye test and has been able to make the routine plays, which is all you can ask for at this point. We'll see how Shaw's bat transfers to the majors, but he has been able to excel at every level of the minor leagues so far and he seems ready for the challenge. 

Dansby Swanson is looking to bounce back from a down year at the plate, which may have been impacted by a hernia issue we learned he had been dealing with for much of the 2024 regular season. Despite that injury, Swanson was still named a Gold Glove finalist in 2024 and the Cubs' middle infield defense should still be elite with fellow Gold Glove winner Nico Hoerner at second base. 

After missing the Tokyo Series, Hoerner is back and seemingly ready for every day play following his recovery from flexor tendon surgery. 

Outfield (4): Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki

The outfield situation feels improved heading into 2025. Kyle Tucker and Ian Happ both have Gold Gloves on their mantle and Pete Crow-Armstrong is already one of the best defensive outfielders in the game. Seiya Suzuki's talents are better suited to focus on his hitting and he will serve as the team's primary DH for 2025 barring an unexpected injury. 

All four players will be crucial for the team's offense this year, with Tucker and Suzuki projected to be the most productive hitters on the team. Happ will be hitting leadoff at the start of the year, but Crow-Armstrong's elite speed and continued improvement at the plate could see him claim the top spot this summer. 

Bench (4): Justin Turner, Gage Workman, Jon Berti, Carson Kelly

The Cubs bench has a very different look after the front office jettisoned Nick Madrigal, Patrick Wisdom, Miles Mastrobuoni, and Mike Tauchman in the offseason. Berti has the ability to play solid defense all over the infield with the speed to serve as a pinch runner. Workman has a similar set of tools, with much better defense and the ability to play the outfield. 

Carson Kelly gives the team a solid veteran to back up Miguel Amaya while Justin Turner is already showing off his veteran leadership qualities. Turner's charisma was on full display in various videos and social media posts from the Tokyo trip and having him in the clubhouse could be a major boost to morale. The 40-year-old has 16 years of major-league experience under his belt, including nine postseason runs during his time with the Dodgers. Not to mention he can still hit, posting a 117 wRC+ in his age-39 season with the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays last year. 

Utility man Vidal Bruján was placed on the injured list with an elbow sprain he suffered after colliding with the outfield wall at Sloan Park. 

Starting Rotation (5): Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Ben Brown

The trio of Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon should be a fairly stable group at the top of the 2025 rotation. The three men combined for 46 quality starts last year, and they all have the potential to reach 170+ innings if they can stay healthy. 

Matthew Boyd looked sharp with Cleveland in a smaller sample size last year, posting a 2.72 ERA over 39.2 innings with a 27.7 strikeout rate. After undergoing two elbow surgeries in the last five years and failing to make more than 15 starts since 2019, it will feel like a victory if he can eclipse 100 innings pitched for the Cubs this year. 

Ben Brown could be the game-changer this season. His high velocity and elite strikeout potential gives the rotation a much-needed change of pace to keep opposing lineups on their toes. If he can start the year strong, it will be hard to take him out of the starting role, a job he excelled in last year before his neck injury.  

Bullpen (8): Ryan Pressly, Porter Hodge, Brad Keller, Eli Morgan, Colin Rea, Julian Merryweather, Nate Pearson, Caleb Thielbar

The bullpen has undergone a complete transformation from where it stood one year ago at this time, with Julian Merryweather being the only remaining member from the 2024's Opening Day squad. After failing to sign Tanner Scott in the offseason, the Cubs traded for two-time All-Star Ryan Pressly, who is expected to take up the closer role to begin the season.

Porter Hodge, Merryweather, and Nate Pearson, all of whom regularly touch the upper 90s with their fastballs, will likely see high-leverage innings for the Cubs late in games. After sitting out the Tokyo Series, Colin Rea is poised for a vital role in the first month of the season, with other pitchers reportedly experiencing body fatigue after the trip. Rea and Keller both could be utilized to log multiple innings and take the pressure off a starting rotation that isn’t fully stretched out yet.

Keller has turned heads this Spring Training after adding a couple miles per hour on his fastball. Cody Poteet, who was acquired in the Cody Bellinger trade with the Yankees, was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Keller. The Cubs will see how much they can get out of the 29-year-old, but he could be a major x-factor since he only came to Chicago on a minor-league deal.

Eli Morgan, who was optioned to Triple-A last week, has already been recalled to take veteran Ryan Brasier’s place. Brasier and Tyson Miller will begin the 2025 season on the injured list, with groin and hip injuries, respectively.