The Cubs hoped 2024 would be the year the team would crack through, after a change in leadership on the bench and lessons learned after a September 2023 collapse. However, things ended roughly the same in 2024. Chicago (NL) won the same amount of games in 2024 as 2023 and failed to make it back to October. Here’s our 2024 Cubs team recap.
The Offense
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 736 | 12th |
| Home Runs | 170 | t-20th |
| OPS | .710 | 13th |
| Whiff% | 25.3% | 16th |
| Hard Hit% | 38.3% | 19th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 3.77 | 6th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 3.81 | 12th |
| Strikeouts | 1,348 | 21st |
| Whiff% | 24.5% | 22nd |
| Chase% | 28.5% | 14th |
The Good
When the Cubs signed lefty Shota Imanaga last winter, the book on the lefty was he had a booming fastball with carry and a very good splitter, despite not a ton of vertical drop on the pitch. His arsenal led to questions whether he could keep the ball in park. While Imanaga did concede a lot of home runs (27), the lefty fit in just fine on the North Side.
Imanaga struck out 174 batters 173.1 IP and won 15 games in a spectacular first season in the Majors. The 31-year-old arguably couldn’t have had a better start, as his ERA was below 1.00 — 0.84 — over his first nine starts.
Imanaga was the leader of the Cubs’ rotation, one that ranked among the best in baseball last season. Justin Steele pitched very well (3.07 ERA, 135 K over 134.2 IP) despite missing time with injury, while Jameson Taillon got back on track after an uncharastically off 2023, one that saw him give up too much hard-hit contact.
In the bullpen, the Cubs saw the rise of hard-thrower Porter Hodge, who struck out 52 over 43 innings and notched nine saves. Hodge was the Cubs’ closer late last season and enters 2025 as the favorite for saves.
Offensively, the Cubs received strong contributions yet again from Ian Happ, who hit a team-high 25 home runs and posted a .341 OBP as the team’s sparkplug. Happ was one of three hitters to cracl 20+ home runs in 2024, alongside Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch.
Busch, a former first-round pick, was a great add for the Cubs, one who came from the Dodgers, a team with no need for the infielder. The 27-year-old was on a tear over the first month, as Busch posted a .833 OPS and six home runs. Despite some cold stretches here and there, Busch managed to be a mostly consistent power threat, something the Cubs needed last season.
The Bad
The Cubs finished with 83 games last season, the same as in 2023. There were a lot of similarities between 2023 and 2024 for the Cubs. One, the torrid August. Chicago went 18-8 in August 2024, after an 18-9 August the year earlier. Two, the Cubs failed to lock down wins in one-run games.
Back in 2023, the Cubs went 21-24 in one-run contests and lost some heartbreakers. This past season, it was 23-28.
While the Cubs had some good arms in their bullpen and straightened things out later, their late-inning situation was complex last season. Hector Neris was the team’s closer for much of 2024 and much like in Philadelphia, had some scary moments in the role. Among them was a blowup on August 16 — four hits and three earned runs — against the Blue Jays that spelled his end in Chicago.
Arguably the Cubs’ biggest problem in the rotation, though, was Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks struggled to get topped balls, a penchant of his career, and posted a 5.92 ERA for the Cubs. It marked the end of his career as a Cub, as Hendricks was not retained and signed with the Angels this winter.
Offensively, 2024 was a down season for Dansby Swanson, who hit 16 home runs for the Cubs last season. Swanson hit at least 20+ home runs every year from 2021-23, and it was his lowest in a full season since 2018.
The Cubs also failed to solve their problems at third base. Chicago tried to make it work with Christopher Morel, who flashed plus power but also a ton of swing-and-miss. Morel hit .199/.302/.373 (.675 OPS) with 18 home runs before he was shipped out for Rays 3B and former Cub prospect Isaac Paredes.
Paredes, though, didn’t fit in with the Cubs. The 25-year-old hit only three home runs with the Cubs over the final two months. His .633 OPS was lower than Morel’s with the Cubs.
Early Projected Lineup for 2025
- C: Miguel Amaya/Carson Kelly
- 1B: Michael Busch
- 2B: Nico Hoerner
- 3B: Gage Workman
- SS: Dansby Swanson
- OF: Ian Happ (LF), Pete Crow-Armstrong (CF), Kyle Tucker (RF)
- DH: Seiya Suzuki
- SP: Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Javier Assad
- RP: Porter Hodge, Tyson Miller, Eli Morgan, Nate Pearson, Keegan Thompson, Ethan Roberts, Jack Neely, Luke Little
The Cubs swung one of the biggest offseason deals as of this writing in early December when the team acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker. The Tucker deal gives the Cubs considerably more pop and a dangerous, raliable bat to complement their current group.
However, the Tucker move likely telegraphs the end of Cody Bellinger‘s time in Chicago. Bellinger did not opt out of his deal in November, a move that right now leaves the Cubs on the hook for $27.5MM in money in 2025. There’s no clear spot for him in the lineup right now.
Another issue for the Cubs right now is who will be play third base next season. Michael Busch can play third but was primarily used at first base last season. Isaac Paredes, a pull-heavy hitter, didn’t work out in one of the deeper left fields in baseball and was part of the Tucker deal.
Which, could mean the likes of Benjamin Cowles and Rule 5 Draft pick Gage Workman could be legitimate options at the hot corner next season.
But right now, all eyes are on what other big moves the Cubs plan on getting done between now and Opening Day in Tokyo.