Offense, Sluggers Leading Way for Cubs Through First Quarter of Season

It has been a strong first quarter of the season for the Chicago Cubs in 2025. After their victory over the New York Mets on Saturday, the team enters Sunday with a 23-17 record and the lead in the National League Central.

While the Cubs have been known to lean on their pitching for success over the past few years, it has been the offense that has led the way for the team to this point in 2025.

The addition of Kyle Tucker in the offseason and the emergence of Pete Crow-Armstrong have been major catalysts to that performance, and it has led the unit to be one of the best in MLB.

Chicago Cubs Offense is Top Three in MLB Over First Quarter

Through the first 40 games of the year, Chicago's offense has combined to post a .777 OPS, good enough for third in MLB behind just the New York Yankees (.822) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (.795).

Tucker has accounted for a big part of that team's OPS. He enters Sunday with a .276/.387/.545 line with 10 home runs, 32 RBI, and a 162 OPS+ across 186 plate appearances in all 40 games.

It has been a fantastic campaign for the outfielder, who is in a contract year, but that has not been the reason for his production at the plate. Tucker broke out in a big way for the Houston Astros in 2024, with a .289/.408/.585 line, 23 home runs, 49 RBI, and a 179 OPS+ across 339 plate appearances in just 78 games. He missed considerable time due to injury.

The small sample size led many to believe it was unsustainable for the outfielder, but he has proved the doubters wrong this year and is setting himself up nicely for a big payday should he reach free agency this winter.

Without Tucker, the Cubs' offense would still be good, but it might not be one of the best in MLB this year. With the weather getting warmer, balls will start leaving the yard at a higher rate, and the offense will continue to be a major catalyst of the team's success.