For all the rough edges the Chicago Cubs showed down the stretch in 2025, the Silver Slugger results still served as a blunt reminder of how dangerous that lineup was when it was rolling.
Kyle Tucker was one of the National League outfielders to win the award, while Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong finished as finalists at their positions. The Cubs also landed as a team finalist. That kind of recognition doesn’t happen by accident, and it pointed straight back to the opening months of the season, when the Cubs’ offense looked like one of the best stories in baseball.
Crow-Armstrong and Tucker both spent time in the National League MVP conversation early on before slipping out of it for different reasons by season’s end. Crow-Armstrong hit a wall in the final months, and Tucker’s late-season slide came with injuries in the mix. Even so, Tucker winning the honor underscored just how impactful he was when healthy and locked in.
This year, Crow-Armstrong looks like the Cubs’ clearest Silver Slugger bet.
There’s been plenty of talk this summer about whether he could chase down Shohei Ohtani in the MVP race, but the Silver Slugger picture feels much simpler. Unless Crow-Armstrong completely falls apart before the regular season ends, he should have this one in hand.
He leads National League outfielders with 33 home runs, a 154 wRC+, and a .929 OPS. And unlike some hot-start bats that cool off and fade, Crow-Armstrong has backed it up after the break too, posting a 155 wRC+ with 12 home runs since the All-Star break.
The Cubs, as a whole, have been just as impressive. Their 114 team wRC+ is the best in baseball, and they should be in the Silver Slugger conversation again as a team finalist, if not the favorite. Since the All-Star break, they’ve also led baseball with a 124 wRC+.
Crow-Armstrong’s steady production has helped carry that case, but Alex Bregman’s surge has given the offense another jolt. Since the All-Star break, Bregman has put up a 158 wRC+.
Pitching will get most of the attention as the Cubs push toward the playoffs, but the offense may end up being the part that carries them. Outside of a six-week lull in May and June, the Cubs have been one of the most productive teams in the sport. If that slump doesn’t come roaring back, their playoff outlook looks a lot better than it did a year ago.
In Other News...
Cubs Prospect Is Doing Something Rare The Organization Barely Sees
Josiah Hartshorn has spent this season turning heads across two levels of the Cubs farm system, showing the kind of power that usually belongs to much older players. The 19-year-old has hit his way from Class-A Myrtle Beach to High-A South Bend, posting a .936 OPS in more than 300 plate appearances and giving the organization a glimpse of a future outfielder with real middle-of-the-order upside.
For a club that is always trying to stock the next wave, Hartshorns season stands out because Chicago simply does not see teenage hitters do this very often. He is still likely a couple of years from the majors, but the path is getting more interesting by the week, especially with the possibility that he could one day pair with Pete Crow-Armstrong in a dynamic Cubs outfield. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Playoff Push Could Soon Get Two Pitching Reinforcements
The Cubs are getting closer to adding some much-needed pitching help as Ben Brown and Justin Steele both took encouraging steps forward in their recoveries. Brown and Steele recently threw live bullpen sessions and came away feeling great, a positive sign for a club trying to line up its arms for the stretch run.
Brown is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon if everything continues on the current path, while Steele is slated to throw live batting practice next and could follow with a rehab assignment of his own. For a team in the middle of a playoff push, the possibility of getting both pitchers back into the mix would give Chicago another layer of depth when every outing starts to matter more. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Open Huge Wild Card Series With One Big Lineup Question
The Cubs opened a three-game set against the Diamondbacks with both clubs still squarely in the Wild Card race, and there was at least one notable lineup wrinkle right away. Chicago entered with a two-game cushion over the Phillies for the top Wild Card spot, while Arizona came in chasing the Padres for the final berth, so every decision carries a little more weight than usual this late in the year.
Michael Conforto was back in the designated hitter spot for the Cubs for a second straight game, giving Chicago another look at a bat that has been part of the recent mix. On the other side, Ketel Marte remained on the injured list, leaving Arizona short one of its most important players and forcing former Cub Ildemaro Vargas to handle second base again as the Diamondbacks try to keep pace in a crowded chase. [Read more 🡒]