Cubs Rise in Power Rankings, PCA Second in Early MVP Poll, Kyle Tucker Posting Unprecedented Numbers
Rather than falling into my usual trap of getting overly wordy about niche topics, I wanted to touch briefly on three different items that piqued my interest recently. The first is MLB Network’s power rankings, which see the Cubs listed third behind the Tigers and Dodgers. Never mind that the Cubs have a better overall record than the Dodgers while also taking the season series. This won’t be the last time we talk about LA getting preferential treatment here either.
The first Power Rankings of June are here! ? pic.twitter.com/CSu87oUfMs
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 2, 2025
Those rankings don’t actually matter in the least, but it does matter that 13 of the Cubs’ next 23 games come against teams in the top 10. With three each against the Tigers, Phillies, and Mariners, followed by four against the Cardinals, the Cubs have a pretty tough June ahead of them. And as we noted previously, Tuesday starts a stretch of 26 scheduled games in 27 days.
It’s a good thing the Cubs have Pete Crow-Armstrong and his boundless energy to help carry them through the month. Though he was recently passed by Cal Raleigh for second place behind Aaron Judge, PCA’s 3.5 fWAR is already almost a full win above his mark from last season in about 60% of the plate appearances. That was enough to get him into the MVP conversation, but not enough to push him past a guy who doesn’t even play defense.
Shohei Ohtani is in prime position to land his third straight MVP award ? pic.twitter.com/TNFTIHgOxo
— MLB (@MLB) June 3, 2025
I’m all about Shohei Ohtani, but this is unserious. Not that we should be too worried about what a “panel of MLB.com experts” is doing to produce rage-bait. There’s a whole lot of season left to go, so we’ll see how the next few months play out before getting up in arms. It’s just funny to see PCA overshadowed given how quickly he took over the discourse in Cubdom.
Kyle Tucker is the only player in the live-ball era (since 1920) to record at least 60 hits, 40 walks, 25 extra-base hits and 15 steals in under 60 games with a single team.
Tucker did so in his first 57 games with the @Cubs. pic.twitter.com/LfFipfH2qU— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) June 3, 2025
The youngster has been so good that Kyle Tucker’s incredible performance has gone largely unnoticed. Some fans even believe the Cubs should just let Tucker walk after this season because they have PCA for several more years, extension or no. However, a big reason for the success of other Cubs players is that Tucker is the straw that stirs the drink.
As noted by OptaSTATS, Tucker is the first player in the live-ball era (a span of 105 years) to have at least 60 hits, 40 walks, 25 extra-base hits, and 15 steals in under 60 games. Not bad for just $16.5 million, but it means Tucker is going to get paid stupid money this offseason. He’s already at 2.5 fWAR and could easily beat his previous best of 5.0 fWAR if he stays healthy enough to get 600+ plate appearances.
That’s it for now, just a few little nuggets to peruse.
