These Cubs Players Will Be Serious Contenders for Spots on All-Star Team

The Chicago Cubs have a very talented roster that is under pressure to perform this year on the field.

At the minimum, they need to make a push for the postseason, something they have accomplished only once in the last six years. The only time they qualified during that span was the shortened 2020 COVID-19 campaign, so they haven’t made the playoffs in a 162-game season since 2018.

To achieve that goal of making the postseason and potentially winning the National League Central, they need several players to step up and perform at a high level.

Who can they count on to rise to the occasion and play like an All-Star? Here are four players who will be serious contenders for a spot on the NL All-Star team in this year's Midsummer Classic.

Kyle Tucker

The Cubs' biggest acquisition this offseason was the star right fielder from the Houston Astros in what was arguably the biggest blockbuster trade of the winter.

Tucker has the talent to anchor a lineup and is an MVP-caliber player when healthy. With three All-Star nods already on his resume, Chicago is hoping he can earn a fourth to help get the team over the hump.

Set to hit free agency after the season, he has gotten off to a wonderful start. He has a .353/.450/.853 slash line with four home runs, five doubles and 11 RBI.

With each long ball he hits, you can hear “cha-ching” when the ball lands in the stands.

Shota Imanaga

His rookie year was incredible, as he went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA across 29 starts last season. Pinpoint control was his best asset, as he led the league with a 6.21 K/BB ratio, walking only 28 batters all year.

Heading into Year 2, Imanaga has picked up right where he left off, allowing only one run through his first 11 innings with six strikeouts. Shockingly, his control has been a weakness with six walks, but it has not cost him.

If there were any doubts about Imanaga and MLB hitters adjusting to him, it doesn’t look to be an issue. After making the All-Star team last year, he seems poised for another big season anchoring the Cubs' staff.

Dansby Swanson

Ahead of the 2023 season, Chicago signed the former Atlanta Braves shortstop to a seven-year, $177 million deal. In the first two years of that deal, Swanson hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.

He has been about a league-average hitter with a 102 OPS+, which includes his good start to the 2025 campaign. He has a .258/.324/.548 slash line with two home runs and three doubles through his first 34 plate appearances.

If he can keep up anywhere close to that production along with the stellar defense he provides, a third All-Star nod could be on the horizon.

Porter Hodge

In need of some veteran help in the bullpen, the Cubs acquired former Astros closer Ryan Pressly last offseason.

He has assumed the role so far, but the best relief pitcher that the team has is likely Hodge. He produced right away after making his MLB debut last May, pitching so well that manager Craig Counsell eventually made him the team’s closer.

That will be his role eventually, as he is one of the best young relievers in baseball. As a rookie, he had a 1.89 ERA in 43 innings with 52 strikeouts and an eye-popping 215 ERA+.

Non-closers aren’t always viewed as All-Star candidates, but Hodge has the talent to be considered if he replicates his numbers from last year.

Kyle Tucker

Shota Imanaga

Dansby Swanson

Porter Hodge

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