Cubs Veteran Looks Poised To Add Another Dimension to Offensive Production

The Chicago Cubs have played some very good baseball following their tough trip overseas to play in the Tokyo Series against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

They have gone 7-3 since that point, receiving contributions from players up and down the roster, whether it is in the lineup or from the pitching staff. There have been a few slow starters, but it hasn’t kept the team from winning games.

It has been an encouraging sign to see how productive the team has been offensively after struggling to consistently score runs at points during the 2024 campaign. They are averaging 6.42 runs per game, which is third in baseball behind the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals.

Leading the way in that offensive outburst has been their newest star, right fielder Kyle Tucker.

Acquired from the Houston Astros in a trade over the winter, he has lived up to expectations thus far. Arguably one of the 10 best position players in baseball, he is setting himself up for a massive payday this upcoming offseason.

He has a .319/.458/.745 slash line with five home runs, five doubles, 15 RBI and three stolen bases.

Tucker isn’t the only player getting the job done offensively, as the Cubs have proven capable of beating opponents in a multitude of ways, given their ability to create runs in different fashions.

There are legitimate power threats in the lineu,p such as Tucker and Seiya Suzuki doing damage with the long ball.

They are also showcasing some speed and athleticism on the base paths with 16 stolen bases; that is currently No. 3 in baseball behind the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres.

Chicago is doing it efficiently as well, as they have been caught stealing only once.

One player to keep an eye on when it comes to the base paths is shortstop Dansby Swanson.

He has only attempted one steal this season thus far and it was a successful attempt. But, he is someone who could start running the bases more as he is showcasing improvements in his sprint speed.

As shared by Eno Sarris of The Athletic, Swanson has improved by 0.8, which is the third highest in baseball behind former teammate Christopher Morel, who is with the Tampa Bay Rays, and Tim Anderson of the Los Angeles Angels.

“But when you see that Swanson has his legs under him and the Cubs are third in the league in stolen bases, you can feel pretty good about the shortstop stealing 15 to 20 bases again despite recently turning 31,” Sarris wrote.

Swanson has showed some pop in the early going with three home runs and three doubles. If he starts getting aggressive on the base paths, it will add another element to his offensive repertoire in what has been a solid start out of the gate.

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