Chicago Cubs Have Reason to be Optimistic with Super Deep Lineup

The Chicago Cubs have a boatload of momentum and are flying high to begin the 2025 season.

The team's move to acquire super star outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros looked brilliant at the time and briefly slipped into questionable territory as departed prospect Cam Smith exploded on to the scene, but Tucker's performance has put any and all questions to bed.

Even with the questions of Tucker's pending free agency and the Cubs' inability to ink him to a contract extension to this point, the move has achieved Jed Hoyer's goal of elevating his team's offense to new heights.

Former MLB executive Jim Bowden broke down the main reasons for optimism and pessimism for all 30 MLB teams for The Athletic (subscription required), and he listed the success that Tucker has found and the depth present in Chicago's lineup as the main reason for hope for the Cubs.

"The offseason acquisition of Kyle Tucker has completely changed the complexion of the Cubs’ offense, which leads the majors in runs scored, OPS and stolen bases," Bowden wrote. "They have six hitters with four to seven homers... signifying the length of their lineup. They have four players with six to 10 steals (Crow-Armstrong, Jon Berti, Tucker and Nico Hoerner)."

While Tucker's excellence with the bat is somewhat predictable, the same cannot be said for that of first baseman Michael Busch and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Busch has taken a leap from solid to outstanding in his second season in the Windy City after being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Slashing .295/.386/.568, Busch looks like one of the sport's top first basemen, and he represents another move by Hoyer that is panning out better than could have been reasonably expected.

Crow-Armstrong was always a virtual lock to be a positive contributor due to his all-world glove and blazing speed on the basepaths, but the offensive upside that he has flashed to this point in the year is something that few saw coming.

The calendar has not even turned to May yet, and he has already produced 1.9 bWAR, powered by the prior traits as well as his .295/.339/.543 slash line.

The 23-year-old burgeoning star only hit 15 home runs between Triple-A Iowa and Chicago last season, and he already has five so far in 2025.

The Cubs approached him with a lucrative contract extension offer, but the decision he and his camp made to hold off and continue to bet on himself looks like a brilliant one.

Combine that with the reliable production of veterans like Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ, as well as another shocking breakout from catcher Carson Kelly, and Chicago's lineup sure looks like one of the very best in the sport.