Chicago Cubs' Offensive Explosion Puts Them in Same Company as 2016 World Series Team

Thanks to the addition of Kyle Tucker and the emergences of Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Carson Kelly, the Chicago Cubs are off to their second-hottest offensive start to a season ever.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker (right) congratulates designated hitter Seiya Suzuki (27) after his two-run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs' offense has been lighting it up since Opening Day, reaching new heights that should give fans hope for what lies ahead.

By defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-0 on Tuesday, the Cubs improved to 18-12 on the season. That gives them the best record in the NL Central, with their plus-48 run differential standing out as the third-best in baseball.

Chicago leads MLB with 181 runs so far, averaging 6.03 per game.

As noted by MLB Network, this marks only the second time in franchise history that the Cubs have scored at least 181 runs through their first 30 games. The only time they've ever bested that number was in 2016, when they had 184 runs at this point in the season.

Of course, the Cubs went on to snap their 107-year World Series drought later that year, so the 2025 squad is in good company.

The Cubs have scored 181 runs through their first 30 games this season.

The only time they have scored more was 2016 when they scored 184 through their first 30 👀#BeHereForIt https://t.co/3STaNIUMAv pic.twitter.com/HP4WtmzgN3

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 30, 2025

Chicago is one of six clubs with 40 home runs and one of two with 40 stolen bases, standing alone as the only team to hit both benchmarks thus far. The 1997 Colorado Rockies are the only other team in MLB history to reach 40 in both categories through 30 games, per MLB Network.

That Rockies team was led by an MVP in right field – Larry Walker. Perhaps Kyle Tucker can match that hardware in 2025, supported by breakout stars in Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Carson Kelly and Michael Busch.

Game two between the Cubs and Pirates will get underway at 6:40 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Related MLB Stories

• PCA STAYS HOT: Pete Crow-Armstrong went yard in the Cubs' blowout win over the Pirates on Tuesday, continuing to stuff the stat sheet in ways never seen in franchise history. CLICK HERE

• YANKEES LINEUP DOMINATING: In the wake of their blowout win over the Orioles on Tuesday, the 2025 Yankees joined the 1997 Indians and 2019 Mariners in the MLB history books. CLICK HERE

• KIKÉ MAKES HISTORY IN STYLE: Kiké Hernández came off the bench as a first baseman before closing out the Dodgers' one-sided win over the Marlins with a scoreless ninth inning. CLICK HERE

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