Chicago Cubs Slugger Off to Great Start in 2025

The Chicago Cubs have been one of the best teams in baseball so far this season. They have seen the emergence of a young star in Pete Crow-Armstrong and the addition of a premier player in Kyle Tucker. It was another Cub outfielder this week, though, who reached 50 RBI quicker than anyone in the NL and won the league’s player of the week award. The Chicago Cubs have one of the best outfields in baseball, due in no small part to Seiya Suzuki.

Suzuki came into the season as the odd man out in a crowded Chicago Cubs outfield. With the emergence of Pete Crow-Armstrong and the addition of Kyle Tucker, there wasn’t a spot for Suzuki in the outfield. Manager Craig Counsell said that he would be primarily a DH for the club, something that did not sit well with him. All the Japanese slugger has done is get out to the best start of his MLB career, making him one of the main reasons the Chicago Cubs sit atop the NL Central.

Banner Week for Chicago Cubs OF Seiya Suzuki

The Chicago Cubs took two of three from the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend, completing an impressive 5-1 home stand to get to 37-22 on the season. In the tightest game of the series, it was Seiya Suzuki who made the difference, driving in the first run of the game in the 7th inning to create the edge that the team needed to secure another victory. Suzuki has come up clutch more than anticipated for the Cubs so far in 2025, and if he can continue to produce, Chicago can make a run at the National League’s top record and look to go deep into October this fall.

Until the postseason rolls around, though, Seiya Suzuki and the Chicago Cubs will have to settle for regular-season accolades. For the entire team, they tied the New York Mets for the best record in the National League and are near the top of the rankings in nearly all of the important metrics in MLB this season. Seiya Suzuki is a major reason for that, as he leads all of baseball in RBI, a feat that was previously out of sight for the Japanese outfielder just a few short months ago. What was previously thought to be an awkward situation for Suzuki has now turned into a role that has allowed him to earn NL Player of the Week honors.

Final Thoughts

Suzuki hit .480 with a .552 OBP and 1.000 SLG during the week with three homers, four doubles, four walks, nine runs scored, and 10 RBIs for the Chicago Cubs, capped off by the go-ahead RBI double on Saturday. For the season, Suzuki is hitting .269 with a .333 OBP, .562 SLG, and .895 OPS, paired with 14 HR and a league-leading 52 RBI despite missing some games early in the year with a wrist injury. Thriving in his new DH-heavy role, Seiya Suzuki can focus his attention on hitting in the middle of the order and leading one of the best offenses in MLB as the Cubs trek towards the postseason and beyond.