The Chicago Cubs have gotten off to a scorching hot start with their offense in the 2025 MLB regular season.
Right now, they are the most prolific offensive team in the sport, averaging 6.27 runs per game. To put into perspective how incredible they have been with the bats, the New York Yankees are second in the league in runs per game with nearly one fewer at 5.48.
There are a lot of players contributing to the explosive start, headlined by their star offseason acquisition, right fielder Kyle Tucker.
He has done everything the Cubs could have hoped for and more anchoring the lineup with his MVP-caliber production.
While he leads the way, he is far from the only player performing at a high level. Catchers Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, first baseman Michael Busch, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and designated hitter Seiya Suzuki all tearing the cover off the ball.
Their .460 slugging percentage is second in baseball behind only the Yankees, who have a .462. An OPS+ of 127 is incredibly impressive, behind only again New York, who has an OPS+ of 132.
Power numbers like that are very nice and are a major reason why Chicago is producing so well offensively.
However, there has been a historic performance by the team that has helped buoy their production.
Along with being near the top of the power numbers, the Cubs are leading the MLB with 40 stolen bases. They have been incredibly aggressive on the basepaths, something manager Craig Counsell has been laying the ground work for since spring training.
“It’s something we emphasized,” Counsell said, via Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated. “They should be good at it.”
The entire team has bought in with their 87% success rate ranking No. 1 in the sport.
Crow-Armstrong is 10-for-11. Tucker and Jon Berti are both 7-for-7. Nico Hoener is 6-for-8, the only player who has been caught stealing multiple times thus far. Dansby Swanson and Busch are the other players with multiple straps who have yet to be caught.
The 40 steals they have compiled is already a franchise record in the month of April despite having five games remaining. It is the first time in 110 years that Chicago has stolen at least 40 bases in the first 26 games of a campaign.
It isn’t just stealing bases where the Cubs are shining on the basepaths. They are blowing the competition out of the water when it comes to base running in general.
“The Cubs are the best baserunning team in baseball and it’s not even close. Statcast rates them as 15 Net Bases Gained. The Brewers are next best at 10,” Verducci added.
Even if the bats cool down a little bit as the season wears on, base running is something that can remain a constant. The aggressiveness has been nice to see and is helping them win games in the early going.
