Honestly, looking at the back of a baseball card doesn't always tell the whole story. You can stare at a list of numbers until your eyes cross, but if you really want to understand the 2025 North Siders, you have to look at the "how" behind the "what." The 2025 season was a rollercoaster. It started with a weird trip to Tokyo and ended with a heartbreaking five-game loss to the Brewers in the NLDS. But man, the chicago cubs team stats from that 92-70 campaign paint a picture of a team that finally found its identity under Craig Counsell.
They weren't just lucky. They were efficient.
The Power Surge Nobody Expected
Remember when the Cubs were basically a "strikeout or home run" team? That changed. In 2025, they finished 6th in the majors with 223 home runs, but they did it while maintaining a top-tier walk rate. Michael Busch was the absolute engine of this lineup. He launched 34 homers and drove in 90 runs, essentially becoming the middle-of-the-order threat the front office had been dreaming about since the Rizzo era.
It wasn't just Busch, though. Seiya Suzuki finally hit that triple-digit RBI mark, finishing with 103. When you have two guys producing like that, the rest of the lineup starts to see better pitches.
Speed and Chaos on the Basepaths
If power was the hammer, speed was the scalpel. The Cubs were tied for 3rd in MLB with 161 stolen bases. Pete Crow-Armstrong led the way with 35 bags, but it was the efficiency that mattered. They had an 81.2% success rate on steals, which is basically the "green light" threshold for elite teams.
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- Pete Crow-Armstrong: 35 SB
- Nico Hoerner: 29 SB (est. based on career trends/full season)
- Dansby Swanson: 18 SB
This constant pressure on the pitcher's delivery probably helped the hitters more than we realize. When a pitcher is worried about PCA or Nico taking second, they leave fastballs over the heart of the plate.
Pitching and the Matthew Boyd Masterclass
If you told a Cubs fan in March that Matthew Boyd would be the staff ace, they probably would’ve laughed at you. But the stats don't lie. Boyd finished with 14 wins, a 3.21 ERA, and 154 strikeouts. He wasn't blowing 100 mph heat past guys, but his 3.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio was clinical.
The rotation was surprisingly deep. Cade Horton, the kid everyone was waiting for, finally arrived and posted a 2.67 ERA over 22 starts. That’s ace-level production from a rookie.
Breaking Down the Staff Metrics
The team's overall ERA was 3.79, good for 9th in the league. But the real "secret sauce" was the WHIP. At 1.176, the Cubs led the entire National League in fewest base runners allowed per inning. They didn't beat themselves. They made teams earn every single run.
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While the starters were solid, the bullpen was a bit of a heart-attack factory at times. Daniel Palencia stepped into the closer role and notched 22 saves, but he also had 6 losses. That tells you he was in a lot of high-leverage, messy situations.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Defense
People see the 11 errors from Dansby Swanson and think he had a down year. He didn't. Total errors are a terrible way to judge a shortstop. Swanson and Nico Hoerner still formed the best middle infield in baseball. The Cubs finished with a .989 fielding percentage, which is elite, but the real stat is the "Outs Pitcher/Game."
They were 19th in outs per game but 1st in WHIP. This suggests that when balls were put in play, the Cubs' defense was positioned perfectly to swallow them up. It's that Craig Counsell "pitching to contact" philosophy in action.
The Carson Kelly Surprise
Can we talk about Carson Kelly? He was supposed to be a backup, a veteran presence to help the young arms. Instead, he posted a 119 OPS+ and hit 17 home runs. For a catcher who often hit 8th or 9th, that’s found money. He also caught 69.6% of would-be base stealers (team total included his heavy lifting). That’s essentially a "no-fly zone" behind the plate.
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Why the NLDS Loss Happened
Despite the 92 wins, the Cubs struggled against the Brewers all year. They finished 5 games behind them in the NL Central. In the postseason, the Brewers' pitching staff exploited the Cubs' one major weakness: their 21.1% strikeout rate. In the regular season, that's fine. In October, when every pitch is a slider on the black, it becomes a problem.
Actionable Insights for the Future
If you’re looking at these chicago cubs team stats to figure out what happens in 2026, here is the reality. The core is young and under control. Michael Busch and Cade Horton are the real deal. However, the front office needs to address the bullpen volatility. You can't rely on 1.17 WHIP every year; eventually, the balls in play will find holes.
- Watch the K-rate: If the Cubs can drop their team strikeout rate by even 2%, they become a 95+ win team.
- Identify a True Closer: Palencia has the arm, but a veteran lockdown presence would let him move back to a setup role where he excels.
- Health of the Rotation: Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon provided steady innings, but they are getting older. The development of guys like Jordan Wicks will be the deciding factor in 2026.
Basically, the 2025 Cubs were a high-floor, high-ceiling team that just ran into a buzzsaw in Milwaukee. The foundation is there. The numbers prove it. Now they just need that one extra piece to push them over the hump.