WASHINGTON, D.C. — A first-place team with the best record in the National League is bound to land on the radar of baseball fans.
The Chicago Cubs could have multiple representatives at the All-Star Game next month as they entered Wednesday, when the first phase of All-Star Game voting began, with the best winning percentage in the National League while sitting atop the division.
All-Star Game voting will continue through June 26 when the top-two vote-getters at each position and the top six outfielders in each league will be revealed and advance to the second phase of voting. That will determine who starts for each league. The full teams will be announced July 6 ahead of the All-Star Game on July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta.
The Cubs last had multiple All-Stars in 2023, when they were represented by left-hander Justin Steele, right-hander Marcus Stroman and shortstop Dansby Swanson, though the latter two did not play in the game. The 2025 All-Star Game could be the first time the Cubs have multiple position players in the Midsummer Classic since 2022, when catcher Willson Contreras and left fielder Ian Happ made it.
“You get a brand of baseball that’s fun to watch, obviously winning games and playing good baseball, but you have guys that are fun so it helps showcase everybody on a national stage,” Happ said. “I think we should have a number of guys representing the Cubs there, and what a fun trip that’ll be for those guys to be able to enjoy that together.”
Some NL positions are stacked, which could thwart some deserving players of All-Star honors, but the Cubs have a few who are building a compelling case to be included.
1. CF Pete Crow-Armstrong
If the season ended today, Crow-Armstrong would be firmly in the NL MVP conversation. The 23-year-old has been electric in all facets. His defense in center field could win him his first Gold Glove Award, and his combination of power and speed continues to put him in rare company by slugging 15 home runs and 15 doubles and stealing 21 bases through 60 games.
Crow-Armstrong leads all NL players in fWAR (3.6) and is one of only three to have eclipsed the 3.0 WAR mark so far, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (3.2) and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll (3.0). At this point, it’ll qualify as a shock if Crow-Armstrong isn’t representing the Cubs in Atlanta.
2. RF Kyle Tucker
Although his jammed right ring finger kept him out of the lineup Wednesday for a second straight game, Tucker’s consistency has him among the best hitters in his first season in the NL. He owns the second-best wRC+ (155) and wOBA (.391) among NL outfielders and is fifth in fWAR (2.5).
Tucker has shown an incredible approach at the plate, highlighted by his 14.9 K% (fourth best) and 11.9 K% (tied for lowest).
3. DH Seiya Suzuki
Suzuki’s status as a designated hitter, rather than an outfielder, could be a hindrance with Ohtani and the Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber also on the ballot. But for as much as Suzuki likes to say he isn’t a home run hitter, his 14 homers trail only Ohtani (23) and Schwarber (19) among DHs, and he has been an RBI machine.
Suzuki’s 53 RBIs are one behind MLB leader Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox. When Suzuki is locked in, few hitters are more dangerous.
4. C Carson Kelly
Although Kelly has cooled off at the plate the last two weeks after a scorching start, he still has been among the most valuable catchers. His 1.5 fWAR is third among NL backstops while his 161 wRC+ and .401 wOBA are second to the Dodgers’ Will Smith and his .538 slugging percentage is first.
Kelly also has been a defensive asset, committing just one error and helping a pitching staff that has owns the sixth-best ERA.
5. 2B Nico Hoerner
Don’t let the lack of home runs deter from evaluating Hoerner’s all-around game. He has been hovering around a .300 average, putting him in rare company among second basemen, and Hoerner has been elite at making contact, owning just a 7.6 K%.
Hoerner has been at his best with runners in scoring position, posting a 178 wRC+ and .427 wOBA, which are tops at his position. His defense returned to Gold Glove levels, and he has shown his base-running ability beyond steals.
Honorable mention: 1B Michael Busch
Unfortunately for Busch, the first-base position is stacked in the NL. The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman (2.8 fWAR, 192 wRC+) and New York Mets’ Pete Alonso (1.8, 158) are the front-runners at the spot with the Phillies’ Bryce Harper (1.3, 136) and Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olson (1.5, 121) also having strong seasons.
Busch’s performance through two months shouldn’t be overlooked. Through 56 games, he ranks third in wRC+ (152), wOBA (.388) and slugging percentage (.519) and fourth in fWAR (1.4). He quietly has been a big part of the Cubs’ offensive success and consistency.
