Cubs Approaching Near Lock Status for MLB Postseason With Soft Schedule Ahead

Coming into the 2025 MLB regular season, the Chicago Cubs were viewed by many people as the favorites in the National League Central.

They made the single most impactful move of all the teams in the division, acquiring All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros in a blockbuster trade.

It was the first of two trades made with the Astros, as they also acquired veteran closer Ryan Pressly.

The Cubs came under some scrutiny for slashing payroll over the winter, going bargain bin hunting with their other additions. But starting pitchers Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea and catcher Carson Kelly have all been excellent.

Another under-the-radar addition to the pitching staff has been Brad Keller, performing well out of the bullpen. With a few in-season additions to the bullpen with veterans Chris Flexen and Drew Pomeranz, and the emergence of youngster Daniel Palencia, a weak spot is improved, but help could certainly be on the way still.

But if the Cubs want to remain amongst the elite in the NL, they should aggressively pursue upgrades still on the mound. Their starting pitching depth is thin and Pressly could be working on borrowed time as the closer.

What Are Chicago Cubs Odds of Making the Playoffs?

Even with a few question marks, Chicago is viewed as a near-lock to make the MLB playoffs and their odds are only going to improve.

As shared by Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report in a recent piece ranking the postseason chances of every team, the Cubs were placed at No. 5.

At the time of the piece being submitted, Chicago had a 25-18 record and has gone 2-1 since. Baseball-Reference had them with a 94% chance of qualifying, while FanGraphs had them at 70.8% and PECOTA was at 91.5%. 

Those odds are only going to go up with how easy their upcoming schedule looks to be.

“They've already played all their games against the Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks for the year, and they are three games into a 21-game stretch against teams with losing records. By June 5, they ought to have a nearly insurmountable lead in the NL Central,” Miller wrote.

The St. Louis Cardinals look like they are going to make life as difficult as possible for the Cubs, currently sitting only one game behind in the standings.

Winning the NL Central could be the only path to the playoffs, with the NL East and NL West both looking like divisions that will have two or three postseason contenders.