Chicago Cubs All-Star Ace Celebrated As ‘Nicest, Friendliest’ Player in Majors

The Chicago Cubs took a chance on an often-injured, inconsistent southpaw before the season. He has worked out as both a leader on and off the field so far this season.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently highlighted how Cubs All-Star Matthew Boyd is viewed off the field, with the consensus being that he is the "nicest, friendliest and most genuine player in baseball."

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It's already hard not to root for Boyd. He is a 34-year-old veteran who has dealt with injuries and inconsistencies throughout his career. Now, he has enjoyed a breakout campaign with a 2.65 ERA over his first 17 outings en route to his first All-Star nod.

Him reportedly being a great person is just nice icing on the cake at this point.

"He’s amazing. He cares about you not just as a baseball player, but a person. He brings people together, brings the best out of everybody, and he's always in a positive mood," said his teammate Chicago catcher Carson Kelly.

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It's not just his current teammates that think highly of him either, a couple of stars from the Detroit Tigers also chimed in to say just how important Boyd is to baseball.

“He’s one of best humans I’ve ever met in my life," said Tigers outfielder Riley Greene. “He's just awesome. When I came up as a young kid, he was just one of those guys who taught me how to carry myself, what to do, teach the ins-and-outs of baseball. And he was super approachable.

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Boyd spent eight years with Detroit across two stints. He was far from the most dominant pitcher on the team, but he did make his mark.

Entering this season with the Cubs, Boyd had a career ERA of 4.85 with an ERA+ of 92 over 10 years in MLB. He had flashed high strikeout numbers, but it wasn't consistent. He didn't usually walk many batters but got hit pretty regularly.

The real biggest issue as of late was that he has had several injuries. From 2021 to 2024, he averaged about 10 starts and 51 innings per season.

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He made just eight starts in 2024 for the Cleveland Guardians, but did have a 2.72 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 39.2 innings over eight starts before getting hurt in July.

That performance is likely why Chicago felt safe handing him a two-year, $29 million deal. They have more than gotten their money's worth so far.

While the rest of the staff has had numerous injury troubles, Boyd has stayed healthy and been lights out. He is 7-1 in his last eight decisions, setting the Cubs up for success with all eight of those games being quality starts.

Chicago will be relying on Boyd the rest of the way.

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