Cubs' Explosive Start Earns Praise From ESPN in Power Rankings

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Dansby Swanson in the Cubs dugout

The Chicago Cubs have scored plenty of runs to begin this season. After scoring the 12th most runs last season, the Cubs rank first in all of baseball in that category this season.

As a result, the Cubs have received plenty of love from the national media, largely stemming from a few breakout stars.

In their latest power rankings, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers praised the Cubs’ dominant offense while ranking them as the fifth-best team in baseball.

“A relentless offense has defined the Cubs’ first two months as the team has averaged six runs. That would be the most over the course of a season since the 2007 Yankees. Chicago ranks as a top-three team in almost every offensive category, including batting average, OBP, slugging, triples, doubles, and stolen bases. In fact, the Cubs’ stolen-base percentage is also the best in baseball. They’ve been great at both jumping on opponents and coming from behind — and it has led to one of the best records in the game as May comes to a close.”

Run Differential, Last 15 Games:

+45 CHC
+38 NYY
+37 TB
+21 STL
+17 PHI
+16 ATL
+13 WSH
+10 TOR
+8 CIN MIN
+7 LAD
+6 HOU
+5 LAA
+4 SF
+3 MIL
+1 SEA
0 CLE DET
-3 PIT
-4 ARI TEX
-5 BOS
-7 MIA
-10 NYM
-11 KC
-13 CWS
-29 BAL
-30 SD
-46 COL
-73 ATH

The Cubs moved up one spot in the rankings after taking care of the division rival Cincinnati Reds on the road and sweeping the Colorado Rockies at home.

As Rogers pointed out, the offense has been the main catalyst for the Cubs success. Kyle Tucker has supercharged what would otherwise be a very good lineup, into one of the best in the big leagues. The prized acquisition of the offseason has been as good as advertised. He is currently slashing .281/.388/.525/.913. His 159 OPS+ is on par with some of the games best and his 15 steals represent an underrated part of his game.

The ascension of a young superstar

It seems like almost everyone in the Cubs lineup is having a career year. But no breakout has caught as much attention as Pete Crow-Armstrong. Upon his arrival in 2021, most understood he would one day become a gold-glove calibar defender in center field while being a serious threat on the bases.

What most would not have predicted is that he would on pace to hit 40+ homers over a third into the season. His .563 slugging clip has entered into an elite grouping of some of the best power/speed threats in the sport. His infectious energy and power surge has added another dangerous hitter to a stacked Cubs lineup.

Pete Crow-Armstrong – Steamer Projections vs. Current Stats (56 games):

HR: 15 / 15
R: 49 / 43
RBI: 52 / 50
SB: 23 / 16
wRC+: 104 / 138
WAR: 2.2 / 3.2

Already near or beating most full-season projections.

pic.twitter.com/ANlTzigwGq

— The Wrigley Wire (@TheWrigleyWire) May 30, 2025

Another key element for the Cubs has been the ascension of their catchers. The addition of Carson Kelly in the offseason was seen as merely a depth signing, but he has exploded as a Cub. Splitting time with Miguel Amaya (who has also been good) he has registered a 1.000 OPS and 2.0 bWAR in 34 games.

Additionally, Stars like Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, Nico Hoener and Dansby Swanson have been good, giving opposing pitchers few breaks in the lineup.

The biggest weakness for this Cubs offense has been the production from the hot corner. But since being recalled on May 19th, Matt Shaw has looked like the hitter he was in the minor leagues. If he can continue his hot stretch, the Cubs offense should only get better.

Michael DeFrancisco Michael DeFrancisco is a writer and contributor covering MLB for Heavy Sports. He started working at Heavy in 2025 and has experince covering Chicago Sports. More about Michael DeFrancisco