Wrigley Field felt different in 2025. It wasn't just the Ivy or the wind; it was a team that finally stopped "rebuilding" and started actually winning. They finished 92-70. That's a massive jump from the .500 purgatory of previous years. If you just look at the back of a baseball card, you see a second-place finish in the NL Central. But the real chicago cubs players stats reveal a weird, high-variance season where young stars basically took over the clubhouse while established vets held the line.
Honestly, the most shocking thing wasn't the win total. It was how they got there.
The Power Surge Nobody Saw Coming
Michael Busch is the guy everyone is talking about, and for good reason. He ended the year with 34 home runs. Think about that for a second. A guy who was essentially a "let's see what happens" trade acquisition from the Dodgers turned into the most consistent power threat in the lineup. His isolated power ($ISO$) sat at a beefy .262. He wasn't just hitting homers; he was carrying the offense through those brutal May stretches where nobody else could buy a hit.
Then you've got Seiya Suzuki. He drove in 103 runs. Most people think of Seiya as a high-OBP guy who takes a lot of walks—which he does—but he finally tapped into that run-producer role the Cubs paid for. He hit 32 homers of his own. Between him and Busch, the middle of the order finally had some real teeth.
2025 Hitting Leaders (The Big Three)
- Michael Busch: .261 AVG, 34 HR, 90 RBI, .866 OPS
- Seiya Suzuki: .245 AVG, 32 HR, 103 RBI, .804 OPS
- Pete Crow-Armstrong: .247 AVG, 31 HR, 95 RBI, 35 SB
Wait, did you catch that last one? Pete Crow-Armstrong hitting 31 home runs is absolutely wild.
✨ Don't miss: Mizzou 2024 Football Schedule: What Most People Get Wrong
PCA was supposed to be the "defense-first" kid who might steal some bases. Instead, he turned into a 30/30 threat. He swiped 35 bags and provided elite center-field defense while suddenly finding enough pop to clear the bleachers regularly. That's the kind of statistical outlier that wins you Wild Card games.
Shota and the Pitching Puzzle
Pitching was... complicated. Shota Imanaga is a local legend at this point. He finished 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA over 144.2 innings. If you looked at his first half, you’d have thought he was a Cy Young lock. He slowed down toward the end—his ERA over his last seven games was a bloated 5.40—but his 0.99 WHIP for the season shows he was still incredibly difficult to hit. He just ran out of gas.
Matthew Boyd was the unsung hero. Seriously. The lefty came out of nowhere to lead the staff in wins (14), ERA (3.21), and strikeouts (154). While everyone was watching Justin Steele or Shota, Boyd was just carving through lineups.
Speaking of Justin Steele, it was a frustrating year for him. He only made 4 starts, going 3-1 with a 4.76 ERA. Injuries are a part of the game, sure, but the Cubs missed his 2023-form dominance. The fact that the team still won 92 games without a full season from their supposed ace is a testament to the depth Craig Counsell managed to squeeze out of the bullpen and the back end of the rotation.
🔗 Read more: Current Score of the Steelers Game: Why the 30-6 Texans Blowout Changed Everything
The Small Ball and The Mistakes
Nico Hoerner is still the heartbeat of this team's "grind." He hit .297. In an era of "three true outcomes," having a guy who just puts the ball in play is a godsend. He didn't hit for power (only 7 HR), but he was the only regular starter who felt like a lock to reach base every single night.
But it wasn't all sunshine. Dansby Swanson had a weird year. He hit 24 homers and stole 20 bases, which is great, but he also led the team with 11 errors. For a Gold Glover, that's a lot of miscues. His .244 average also felt a bit empty at times, especially when he struggled with runners in scoring position.
Defensive and Base Running Realities
The Cubs were tied for 3rd in MLB with 161 stolen bases. They are fast. Really fast. PCA and Nico accounted for a huge chunk of that. However, the catching situation was a bit of a revolving door until Carson Kelly stabilized things. Kelly actually threw out a massive 65.7% of would-be base stealers. That's an insane number that probably won't be repeated, but it saved the pitching staff more times than the box score shows.
Making Sense of the 2025 Chicago Cubs Players Stats
If you're trying to figure out if this team is "for real," look at the runs created. Michael Busch led the way with nearly 100 runs created ($RC$). The team as a whole scored 793 runs. They are a top-10 offense now.
💡 You might also like: Last Match Man City: Why Newcastle Couldn't Stop the Semenyo Surge
The biggest takeaway? The core is young. PCA is only 23. Busch is 27. These aren't old veterans on their last legs. The chicago cubs players stats from 2025 suggest that the window isn't just opening—it's already wide open. They proved they can win without a healthy Justin Steele and without a superstar performance from Dansby Swanson.
When the 2026 season kicks off, the focus has to be on rotation durability. They can't rely on Matthew Boyd overachieving forever. They need Cade Horton (97 strikeouts in limited action) to take the next step. If the young arms catch up to the young bats, 92 wins might be the floor, not the ceiling.
Actionable Next Steps for Cubs Fans:
- Watch the 40-man roster moves: With Matt Shaw (13 HR in limited time) and Owen Caissie knocking on the door, the Cubs have a surplus of bats that could be traded for a top-tier starting pitcher.
- Monitor Justin Steele’s recovery: His health is the single biggest factor in whether the Cubs can actually take the division away from the Brewers next year.
- Track PCA's plate discipline: If he can lower his strikeout rate while keeping the 30-HR power, he becomes a perennial MVP candidate.
The 2025 season was a blast, but the numbers show there's still a gap between "playoff team" and "World Series favorite."