Five Chicago Cubs Predictions Before Opening Day of 2025 MLB Season

The Chicago Cubs are coming off back-to-back 83-79 seasons, having not made the playoffs in four straight years. The Cubs are well equipped to end that postseason drought in 2025.

That noble quest begins Tuesday, March 18 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo, Japan.

Starting the season against the defending champs and the consensus best team in baseball is a tough draw for Chicago. Even if they drop both games to the Dodgers in the Tokyo Series, the Cubs have enough talent to be a factor in the National League.

With Opening Day on the horizon, let's make five predictions for Chicago's 2025 campaign.

Cubs Win NL Central

Let's start with the big one: Chicago will not only end their postseason drought, but they will win their division.

The NL Central is, arguably, the softest division in baseball, which opens the door for the improved Cubs to overtake the Milwaukee Brewers, who have won the division in three of the last four years, including the last two.

The Cincinnati Reds are the second-biggest threat to both Chicago and the Brewers, while it would be a surprise if the St. Louis Cardinals or Pittsburgh Pirates walked away with the division crown.

Craig Counsell Wins NL Manager of the Year

Counsell has been widely regarded as one of the best managers in baseball, which is why the Cubs brought him in last year. Despite that, he has not yet won the Manager of the Year award, even though his 707 victories with the Brewers are the most in that franchise's history.

Even more bizarre is that Pat Murphy, Counsell's replacement in Milwaukee, won the award last year in his first season with the team. The Brewers had just one more victory than they did the previous year, Counsell's last with the organization.

Counsell was brought in to elevate Chicago, the roster is improved and the division is very winnable. In fact, the NL Central winner may be the most up for grabs playoff spot in the National League this season. If the Cubs win the division. Counsell is in a great position to take down his first Manager of the Year award.

Kyle Tucker Has Career Year, Finishes Top Three in NL MVP Voting

First, the existence of Dodgers' dual-threat unicorn Shohei Ohtani nearly makes the NL MVP race a "who comes in second" discussion. When Ohtani is pitching, as he is expected to do later this year, he's nearly impossible to beat if he stays healthy. That's out of every other contenders hands.

Tucker is in a contract year so he couldn't be more incentivized to have his best season to date. Tucker has been an exceptional player over the last four years, averaging a 5.3 bWAR over that span. His peak production came in 2021, where he slashed .294/.359/.557 with 30 homers and a 5.7 bWAR.

He only played in 78 games in 2024, but he still finished with 23 dingers and a 4.7 bWAR. A contract -year swell in his age 28 season, on a contending Cubs team, could put Tucker right in the thick of the NL MVP race.

Matt Shaw Finishes Third in NL Rookie of the Year Race

Dodgers rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki is going to be very hard to beat, but he has heavy competition from both Shaw and Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews.

In most years Shaw would be the favorite in this race, but given the premium competition just being in the hunt will be an accomplishment. That's the expectation for Shaw in his first MLB season.

Cubs 2025 Record Prediction: 89-73