The Chicago Cubs are off to a fantastic start to the season with the team living up to their high expectations.
After a bit of a slow start to the year, the Cubs are firing on all cylinders now. Over the weekend, they were able to pick up a great series win against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are widely considered to be the best team in the Majors.
Even though it is early, winning series against teams of that caliber shows that Chicago is here to compete in 2025.
Unfortunately, the Cubs did receive some bad injury news recently. Star left-handed pitcher Justin Steele was recently placed on the injured list with an elbow injury and will be missing the remainder of the campaign.
This injury will surely impact the team and likely force Chicago to get aggressive once again on the trade market to add a top-end starter.
However, the team is fortunate that their blockbuster trade this winter is paying dividends early on.
Will Leitch of MLB.com recently ranked the Cubs fifth in his MLB Power Rankings, up one spot from last week, thanks to the emergence of Kyle Tucker as true MVP candidate in the National League.
“Is Kyle Tucker your early NL MVP favorite? The Cubs are in first place, Ohtani has only five RBIs and Tucker is mashing the ball, putting up a 1.090 OPS and looking like the difference in the NL Central all by himself," he wrote.
When Chicago traded for Tucker, the thought was that he could be the superstar that the franchise had been lacking the last several years.
Even though he was a bit overshadowed and perhaps undervalued with the Houston Astros, he was an excellent player.
Last year, it appeared as if he was heading toward his breakout season prior to an injury that kept him out for a couple of months. However, he is starting off this campaign extremely strong for the Cubs.
In 2025, Tucker is slashing 324/.442/.648 with five home runs and 18 RBI. The slugger is putting up some excellent numbers early on and is firmly in the early running for NL MVP.
As Chicago continues to prove themselves as one of the best in the league, they should really be thinking about the future not only this season, but for years to come.
With Steele out, that will have a massive impact on their ability to win in 2025. Furthermore, Tucker is in the final year of his contract and should be extended as soon as possible.
The Cubs are playing some excellent baseball, but will have to overcome a significant injury in the coming weeks.
