Chicago Cubs in Rarified Air With Hot Starts in Two Key Offensive Stats

The Chicago Cubs have an all-around elite offense going in the early part of the season, and they joined an exclusive club with their performance in two key stats through 30 games.

Apr 18, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (30) celebrates with outfielder Ian Happ (8) after hitting a two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The performance of the Chicago Cubs' lineup has proven to be one of the best stories in all of MLB as April comes to a close.

Expectations were high heading into the season after the acquisition of superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker following a blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros.

Tucker joined a group of talented veterans to add a truly elite presence to a deep lineup, but the results to this point are beyond anything that analysts could have reasonably predicted.

The Cubs lead all of MLB with 181 runs scored, and a wide array of contributors have stepped up to make that happen.

But what they have done to start the year is historically rare.

According to MLB Network, Chicago has become just the second team in MLB history to hit at least 40 home runs and steal at least 40 bases through the first 30 games of the season, joining the 1997 Colorado Rockies.

The @Cubs are on a rare pace to start the season 👀#BeHereForIt pic.twitter.com/iilSq3AwtX

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 30, 2025

The team's 42 home runs place them second behind only the New York Yankees, and their 44 stolen bases have them tops in all of Major League Baseball.

Six different Cubs (Tucker, Carson Kelly, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong) have hit at least five homers, and Crow-Armstrong is tied with O'Neil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates for the MLB lead in stolen bases with 12.

The emerging star center fielder is not the only Cub to make an impact on the basepaths, though, as Tucker has swiped eight bags and infielder Jon Berti has grabbed seven.

The seemingly out-of-nowhere leaps from Kelly and Busch have truly elevated Chicago's lineup to unforeseen heights. Everybody knew the Cubs would get a lot from the likes of Tucker and Suzuki, but pitchers now have nowhere to go to reliably get outs against this team.

While Chicago put up 40/40 as a team in April, Tucker has positioned himself very well to produce a 40/40 season himself with his seven homers and eight steals.

If he were to play 150 games this year, his current pace would have him finish at 35 home runs and 40 steals. With the weather warming up, too, the hitting environments should quickly become friendly enough to help boost his power output further.

After a frustrating run after the Cubs' previous core dissolved in the wake of the 2016 World Series championship, Chicago fans have been waiting for this sort of must-watch, electrifying product to return to their screens and Wrigley Field.

It's finally here, and a return to the postseason looks set to follow in short order.