Which Chicago Cubs Have Earned Awards From a Stellar First Month of the Season?

There are several Chicago Cubs players who deserve recognition for their strong start to the season and some who have underwhelmed.

Apr 29, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly (15) hits a two-run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have been one of the best teams in baseball through the first month of the 2025 MLB regular season.

They are off to a historic start offensively, helping overcome some underwhelming performances on the mound. There have been some remarkable individual performances with players upping their level of play, but a few examples of players on the other end of the spectrum as well.

Who has outperformed expectations, and who is the team still waiting to see some improvements from?

Here are some award winners for the Cubs from the first month of the season.

MVP - Pete Crow-Armstrong

Their big offseason acquisition, Kyle Tucker, could have certainly earned this award, providing the exact kind of impact the team was hoping for. But credit needs to be given to their starting center fielder, who has begun to come into his own.

Crow-Armstrong owns a team-high 2.0 WAR and has begun to match his incredible impact defensively with his performance at the plate.

He has a .271/.309/.550 slash line with a 140 OPS+. His stat sheet is stuffed with eight home runs, 10 doubles, one triple, 23 RBI and 12 stolen bases. The doubles and steals are both the most on the squad through May 2.

The breakout performance should have Crow-Armstrong in the running for a spot on the All-Star team.

LVP - Dansby Swanson

Chicago had high expectations when they signed Swanson away from the Atlanta Braves ahead of the 2023 campaign. He was an All-Star in his first season with the team, but his production hasn’t quite lived up to the price tag.

Signed to a seven-year, $177 million deal, his OPS+ has decreased for the third consecutive season. Right now, it is at 88, which would be the third lowest in a single season of his career.

His slugging percentage is slightly improved from 2024, which was the fourth straight year he has seen a drop in power.

Swanson remains an excellent defender at shortstop, providing the team with some value in that regard, but they need more than a .214/.262/.405 slash line at the dish.

Cy Young - Colin Rea

Shota Imanaga has been excellent in his second season in the Major Leagues. Matthew Boyd has proven to be one of the biggest steals of free agency, also throwing at a high level.

But, it is Rea, another free agent signing the team made, who is earning the Cy Young Award for the first month, because of the versatility he has shown and not skipping a beat when his role changed.

With Justin Steele going down with a season-ending injury, it was Rea who manager Craig Counsell tabbed as his replacement in the rotation. Despite opening the season as a relief pitcher, he has answered the call.

His workload has expanded each start, throwing 3.2 innings, 4.2 innings, 5.0 innings and 6.0 innings in his starts. Altogether, he has made seven appearances, throwing 24.2 innings with a 1.46 ERA and 21 strikeouts.

Where the biggest improvement has been show is in limiting home runs, with only one allowed for a 0.4 HR/9 ratio. His career number is 1.4 and he was at 1.6 or higher in four consecutive Major League campaigns coming into 2025.

Cy Yuck - Eli Morgan

This offseason, one of the things the Cubs focused on was finding upgrades for their bullpen. Nearly the entire unit was changed on Opening Day in 2025 from who was on the staff on Opening Day the year before.

One of the additions made was Morgan, acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians. Things did not go well for him before landing on the injured list with an elbow impingement.

His last appearance to date was April 14 against the San Diego Padres when he was tagged for four earned runs in 0.2 innings. On the season, he has a ghastly 12.27 ERA in 7.1 innings, surrendering 12 hits, three of which have been home runs, with three walks and four strikeouts.

Most Improved - Carson Kelly

Signed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract in free agency to complement Miguel Amaya, not much was thought about Kelly’s signing. But he has been stellar for the team out of the gate, hitting everything in sight.

He owns a .364/.500/.818 slash line with seven home runs and 22 RBI despite being a part-time player. His 270 OPS+ is the best on the team and the plate discipline shown has been incredible with 15 walks compared to only six strikeouts.

This is more production than anyone could have expected at the start of his tenure with the team.