The Chicago Cubs hold an advance scouting meeting before each series, as well as hitters’ meetings on an almost daily basis. During these sessions, the coaching staff regularly leads the players through a football-style film review, highlighting good moments as well as identifying mistakes.

To a lesser extent, the Cubs did this last year during Craig Counsell’s first season as manager. But two new staffers have taken it to a different level. Jose Javier, the 32-year-old first-base coach who previously worked in the New York Yankees organization, is particularly skilled with arranging these visual presentations. Third-base coach Quintin Berry, who worked for Counsell with the Milwaukee Brewers after being a designated base stealer in the majors, adds a certain presence and credibility.

Counsell mostly downplays his influence. He views his job as adapting to the club’s personnel, which constantly changes over the course of a 162-game season, and tailoring the messages to fit the personalities in the clubhouse. What might work one season could fall flat the next.

In this instance, the Cubs are catering to their baseball gym rats and acknowledging Wrigley Field’s unpredictable park factors. That focus and attention to detail have the first-place Cubs off and running, leading the majors with 44 stolen bases in 29 games and an 88 percent success rate that is also the highest in the game.

“They very much enjoy the details of the game,” Counsell said. “That means there’s a lot of teaching moments and learning moments. This team enjoys that stuff, which is cool and fun. It’s a little bit nerdy stuff, but we try to find some video to show real baseball-y plays.”

“The weather plays more of a factor here than any stadium in the major leagues.”@Cubs manager Craig Counsell spoke with @Ken_Rosenthal about Ben Brown’s start so far and what it’s like playing at Wrigley Field pic.twitter.com/9GfjvSnVl4

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 26, 2025

Emphasizing base-running techniques, studying pitchers’ tendencies and having situational hitting approaches are not revolutionary ideas. The challenge of building a well-rounded roster for Wrigley Field, given its abundance of day games and shifting weather patterns, is a recurring theme through the ballpark’s 111-year history.

The obvious answer, of course, is to get the best players. Kyle Tucker fits that description as a potential 30-30 player in home runs and stolen bases, adding Gold Glove defense in right field as a bonus. Since being acquired from the Houston Astros in a blockbuster trade in the winter, Tucker’s presence has changed the entire complexion of this offense, and his calm, steady demeanor helps teammates stick with the process.

The Cubs also have a foundation of up-the-middle athleticism with Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson and Gold Glove second baseman Nico Hoerner, as well as center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, a potential Gold Glove winner with sprint speed that ranks in Statcast’s 96th percentile. But it’s not just raw talent and physical abilities.

Young catcher Miguel Amaya had the awareness and aptitude to make significant in-season adjustments to his swing last year while still handling his heavy defensive responsibilities. First baseman Michael Busch is a quiet, observant player who also seems to be reaching the next level in his second full season in the majors. Those individual developments are characteristic of a group that appreciates feedback.

In watching video clips together, the Cubs usually review plays within their own games, but they pick up interesting stuff from other teams, as well. As a specific example, Counsell referenced the heads-up, game-ending tag that Swanson executed at third base to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks last month.

“What you hope someday is that results in a play like Dansby made in Arizona,” Counsell said. “For a young player like Pete, it’s a great environment to be around because the major-league game, in my eyes, is very situational. Players play to situations. And if you can understand the situations a little faster than the guy you’re competing against, you can get a little advantage.”

The Cubs have pressed that advantage at the Friendly Confines, where, depending on the conditions, a one-run lead can feel much bigger or a six-run lead in the eighth inning might not be safe. Again, this isn’t a novel concept as much as Counsell reading the room and responding to a particular group of players.

“He encourages us to be smart and athletic on the bases and with the way we play the game in general,” infielder Jon Berti said. “It’s understanding that Wrigley can change day to day. Wind blowing in, wind blowing out, cold, hot, whatever, we got to find different ways to win.”

That aggressive mindset is not simply about stolen bases, either. It’s in the details of noticing when a teammate stays back on a line drive with the bases loaded, runs hard to break up a double play and extend the inning, or scores from first base on a ball hit into the outfield because of effort and instincts.

“It’s a good brand of baseball we’re playing,” said Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon, who debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates while the 2016 dream season was unfolding on the North Side. “I remember watching the really good Cubs teams and playing against the really good Cubs teams in ’16, ’17, ’18. They found a way to win the shootouts and the close one-run games.

“We’re trying to get back to that. When the wind’s blowing out, we can slug with anyone. But when it’s blowing in, we know we have great defense. So on the pitching side, just throw strikes, mix pitches and let our defense work. On the offensive side, just run the bases really hard, take the extra 90 feet, hustle on everything.”

The little things always add up over 162 games. The Cubs still have more than 80 percent of their schedule remaining, but the hardest part, at least on paper, is already over.

The Cubs won their season series against the Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers and split six games with the San Diego Padres. A 17-12 record and a plus-39 run differential provided more positive reinforcement. This team will continue to push the envelope.

“We’ve seen the results,” Cubs outfielder Ian Happ said. “I don’t think you’re looking over and stacking yourself up against that team going, ‘Oh, in six months we’re going to see them in the playoffs.’ It’s more that we’re playing really good baseball. It feels good to play complete games. It feels good to beat a team big and have a 4-2 win. Winning baseball games in different ways, those are the things you look at, not who you’re getting the points against.”

(Photo of Kyle Tucker stealing a base: Kamil Krzaczynski / Imagn Images)

Patrick Mooney is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. He spent eight seasons covering the Cubs across multiple platforms for NBC Sports Chicago/Comcast SportsNet, beginning in 2010. He has been a frequent contributor to MLB Network, Baseball America, MLB.com and the Chicago Sun-Times News Group. Follow Patrick on Twitter @PJ_Mooney