The Chicago Cubs are off to a roaring start and head into this weekend’s matchup in Milwaukee in possession of first place in the National League Central. Despite shakiness in the bullpen and the loss of ace Justin Steele, the club carved up a formidable slate of opponents behind an offense that looks like the toast of the Senior Circuit.
Here’s a look at our second NL Central hitter power rankings of the year, with one month of the 2025 season in the books.
1. Kyle Tucker, Cubs (Previous: 1)
Kyle Tucker has been even better than Cubs fans could have hoped: he walks, slugs, doesn’t strike out, crushes lefties and dominates in the clutch. The Cubs’ right fielder is in a bit of a cold stretch, with his OPS dropping below 1.000. He still is on pace to put up 89 extra-base hits and drive in 141 runs, hitting in the middle of the best offense in baseball. The contract talk is going to continue to crescendo throughout the season and the pressure on Tom Ricketts to find a way to scrounge together over $500 million to keep Tucker will be about the most pressure a Cubs owner has ever felt.
2. Seiya Suzuki, Cubs (Previous: 5)
The most underrated hitter in baseball has been on an absolute tear, going 9-for-25 with three jacks in the last seven days. For the season, the Cubs’ right fielder is up to an absurd .625 slugging percentage, good for third in the entire MLB. The two hitters in front of him? Aaron Judge (who’s on pace for one of the best seasons we’ve ever seen) and Pete Alonso. Pretty elite company for the fourth-year slugger. Seiya Suzuki is on pace for an absurd 46-homer, 142 RBI season as we get into May. He’s one of the driving forces behind their elite start to the season.
3. Oneil Cruz, Pirates (Previous: NR)
Everyone around the majors has known Oneil Cruz is capable of incredible things on a baseball field, and he seems to be finally putting everything together in 2025. While his penchant for striking out is still there, it’s improved vastly year over year, and his walk rate has jumped significantly to offset it (up to 15 percent, nearly double where he was three years ago). Equally important, he hasn’t sacrificed the hard contact to get there. The Pirate center fielder is combining a .363 OBP with power and speed into a phenomenal early-season start.
4. Michael Busch, Cubs (Previous: NR)
Through the first month of the season, Michael Busch has proven that last year’s rookie season is no fluke. He’s forcing Cubs skipper Craig Counsell to play him every day, even against lefties (both as a result of his success and Justin Turner’s struggles). The Cubs’ first baseman has raised his OPS by nearly 100 points so far this season, and is entering elite territory with a mark approaching .900. He’s still really struggling against lefties, but mauling righties is a pretty acceptable outcome for a left-handed-hitting first baseman.
5. Brendan Donovan, Cardinals (Previous: NR)
Brendan Donovan’s contact-driven approach has reached new heights early in the season. He’s tied for fourth in the MLB in hits and fifth in batting average, and is carrying an elite strikeout rate of only 11.2 percent. The second baseman’s approach is pretty old school, but he’s also racking up a ton of two-base hits and could challenge the 50 double mark if he continues at his current pace. Donovan is a fun player.
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