Grading the Cubs Outfield: Chicago’s most consistent unit in 2025

Ed Szczepanski - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 1 day ago

There is no question that the Cubs' most productive unit this season was the outfield, and it wasn't even close. Anytime you get more than 100 homers and close to 300 RBIs from your outfield group, things are looking up, as this was the one position group that the Cubs could count on more often than not this season.

Even with the great performances across the board, there were times of struggle as virtually every single outfielder went into a slump at the same time, and it took them a long time to get out of it. They started to show signs of life again at the end of the season, but considering how poorly they played for nearly a two-month stretch, you have to wonder how good a season each of them would've had if they were more consistent start to finish.

Still, heading into 2026, this is the one area where the Cubs will have to do the least amount of work, as these players have been productive for a while, and from all accounts, that doesn't appear to be changing. Here are our outfield grades this season.

Ian Happ

Say what you will about Ian Happ, but at this point in his career, you know what you are going to get from the switch-hitter. Granted, he may only hit around .250 for the season, but Happ is still going to give you plenty of production while also playing Gold Glove defense in left. That was once again the case this season as Happ is one of six finalists for a Gold Glove, and it does appear that he is on his way to No. 4.

From an offensive standpoint, there is no question that Happ went through his struggles this season as he was in one of the worst slumps in his career for a while. Once the second half started, in particular the final two months, Happ became one of the Cubs' better hitters, only to cool off in the postseason. Still with 23 homers and 79 RBIs, it was an overall solid season for Happ as he continues to be consistent with his production.

Grade B: Some of you may feel this is a generous grade for Happ, as he has taken his share of heat this season. The bottom line is Happ is who he is, which is a streaky hitter who can get hot at any moment, but also ice cold for months. You saw that again this season, and that is what frustrates fans the most about his performance. Still, he is one of the better left fielders in the National League, and the Cubs are lucky to have him out there.

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Talk about a polarizing figure. What Pete Crow-Armstrong did in Chicago this season was historic, yet there are plenty of people who aren't happy with him. Had you told anyone before the season started that PCA would be a 30-homer/30-steal player, everyone would have signed up for that in an instant.

Yet here we are six months later, and PCA is coming off a 31-homer, 95-RBI season where he became just the fourth Cub in team history to post a 30-30 season by adding 35 steals. He did that while hitting .257 and playing Platinum Glove defense, as he may go down as the best overall defender this season regardless of position.

The thing that frustrated people the most was his second half as PCA went from MVP candidate at the all-star break to becoming one of the worst hitters in baseball the second half. That is something he will need to fix heading into the offseason, as teams exposed him down the stretch.

Grade: B+: It was very tempting to give PCA an A grade, especially when you look at his overall production at the plate. However, his rough second half does hurt his grade in this one, as he was a shell of his MVP form during the first half. Either way, this is still a young player with plenty of time to grow into a complete player, as the sky is the limit for the young stud outfielder.

Kyle Tucker

When the Cubs traded for Kyle Tucker this past offseason, many felt he was the missing piece for a lineup that didn't have what some would call a Superstar bat. There were times when that argument was as clear as day, as Tucker played like the Superstar he is for three months, which had the Cubs as the best offensive team for the first half of the season.

Then came a freak finger injury that he not only tried to play through, but an injury that seemed to alter his swing, which in turn affected his performance the rest of the way. It reached the point where Tucker became a liability at the plate, and he was unable to recover, ultimately having a mediocre season that fell short of the Cubs' expectations.

With 22 homers, 73 RBIs, and 25 steals, the Cubs would take that had it been anyone but Tucker putting up those numbers, as those are not what you expect from the left-hander. He also struggled with the bat, hitting just .266, while his defense was mediocre at best. Now he heads into free agency, coming off a down year, and has more questions than answers.

Grade B-: This was arguably one of the toughest players to grade, as you never want to punish a player for injuries. However, in Tucker's case, he does deserve some criticism this year, as he wasn't the hitter anyone expected him to be, apart from his hot two-month start to the season.

Once the finger injury occurred, something changed as he transitioned from being the line drive hitter everyone knows him for to a ground ball hitter who was almost non-existent for the rest of the way. His price in free agency will likely take a tumble because of his performance, and who knows, maybe that plays into the Cubs' hands.

Seiya Suzuki

Although listed as an outfielder, Suzuki was the team's primary DH this season, but he did take over for Tucker down the stretch when he injured his calf. Since arriving in Chicago four seasons ago, Chicago has been waiting for him to break out at the plate, as many have pegged him as the best hitter on this team when it comes to power production.

As has been the case since day one, Suzuki had moments of struggle, which oddly enough, were a majority of the second half. However, he also had moments where he carried the team, as the Tucker factor in the lineup played a role in that. For the season, Suzuki sacrificed his average for power as he hit a career-worst .245 to go with a career-high 32 homers and 103 RBIs.

The 103 RBIs led the team, but after leading the majors with 78 RBIs at the All-Star break, you can see how much of a struggle the second half was for him. That was the theme for most of the offense, but that doesn't take away from what he did at the plate all season long.

Grade A-: Average and inconsistency aside, that doesn't take away from what Suzuki did this season as he finally put together the season the Cubs have been waiting for. Ideally, they would've liked to see that average be a bit higher, but if you can produce the way he did this season, average becomes less critical, as he was the bat that teams feared the most this season.

Entering the final year of his contract in 2026, Suzuki is going to be one of the bigger topics this offseason as the Cubs need to decide whether or not to keep him one more season and whether or not he moves back to right field should Tucker not return in free agency.

Chicago also saw Kevin Alcantara and Owen Caissie get some reps in the outfield during the second half, but neither of them saw enough games to earn a grade.