Shota Imanaga / Getty Images
The Chicago Cubs have dealt the San Diego Padres their first loss of the young season. In the process the Cubs also won their home opener by a score of 3-1.
As the reigning ace on a loaded roster, Shota Imanaga got the honors to pitch. He tossed 7 1/3 innings, only giving up one run. Imanaga previously threw four shutout innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Series. But the Dodgers eventually won that game and subsequently have stymied every opponent since.
The Cubs have shown tremendous ability to score runs right out of the gate in 2025. They are currently leading the entire league with 63. Though the New York Yankees are right behind them with 62 and the Dodgers are in a distant third with 47. The early indicators are great news for Cubs’ fans.
Here Comes the Boom
Hitting was a point of emphasis in the offseason as Jed Hoyer traded for Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros and he’s already hit four homers while batting .325. Seiya Suzuki has also been heavy handed with four knocks.
Matt Shaw got promoted to starting third baseman. He’s also supposed to provide some pop. Though he’s had a rough start with errors defensively, he was one of the highest rated prospects in the pipeline.
Notably, the bats of the Cubs’ catchers are far improved since 2024. Miguel Amaya is hitting .300 with seven RBIs. Carson Kelly was a free agent before the Cubs signed him to a two-year contract. He’s just recently hit for the cycle for the first time in his career and he’s rocking a .417 average.
The Cubs just took first place from the St. Louis Cardinals, though it’s only by half a game. The Cardinals were historically bad last season, and the Cubs were seemingly better than their own record. They barely missed the playoffs again somehow, handing their fans yet another painful and disappointing offseason.
And then there’s Craig Counsell. His steady and mild-mannered approach creates a lot of anxiety in impatient fans. But they’ll just have to get used to it. He remains as stoic as ever.
The new season has many Cubs’ fans so far nodding in agreement.
