3 Cubs who thrived in May and 2 who didn't live up to expectations

The Chicago Cubs were able to keep their hot streak going in May, with an impressive 18-9 record to help cement a first-place lead in the National League Central. It was a nice change of pace since the team has struggled in the month of May in recent years. After hot starts in April in 2023 and 2024, Chicago posted a 10-18 May record in consecutive seasons.

But this 2025 team seems to have something different about it and this group of players helped sustain the team's already spectacular 2025 season, whiel a couple struggled to maintain their statistics after a strong April.

Hot: Nico Hoerner

It's easy for some folks to underestimate Nico Hoerner's value to the Chicago Cubs, but he is truly a cornerstone of this team. He plays gold glove defense at his position, boasts great speed, and has masterful control of the strike zone.

In May, Hoerner maintained a .296 batting average, scored 22 runs, smacked 10 doubles, and struck out just 10 times. Hoerner is also fourth in the league in batting average with runners in scoring position through his first 59 at-bats under that stipulation (.424). Simply put, Hoerner has raked this year.

Manager Craig Counsell has been slotting his second baseman in the back half of the lineup, but that's because there are others like Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki who have more home run potential. But having Hoerner do his thing further down the lineup just makes the entire group more dangerous.

Cold: Carson Kelly

Chicago's backup catcher Carson Kelly has unfortunately come back to Earth after logging a historic April. In the opening month, Kelly launched seven home runs and drove in 21 with a .360 batting average, and he recorded the first cycle in Cubs history since 1993.

But May wasn't as kind, as Kelly's batting average dropped to .203 while his power numbers took a nosedive (two home runs and three RBI). It was always unrealistic to expect Kelly to maintain his numbers throughout the season, but he has been dramatically worse at the plate in the last month.

But the 30-year-old doesn't have to be a dynamo at the plate to bring value. At the very least, he gives Chicago a more than capable backstop behind the plate and a veteran presence in the dugout for his teammates to lean on. Any kind of run production from Kelly is gravy since he is technically the team's backup catcher.

Hot: Seiya Suzuki

Seiya Suzuki is emerging as one of Chicago's best power hitters in the league, let alone the team. Entering this week's series against the Nationals, Suzuki led the Cubs in RBI with 52, good enough for second in MLB behind Rafael Devers' 53.

In May, Suzuki added 27 RBI to his total, with seven home runs and 12 doubles to boot. Being the team's full-time designated hitter seems to be paying dividends for Suzuki, as this is by far the most productive start he's had since coming to MLB in 2022.

Cold: Ian Happ

On the other side of the outfield, Ian Happ had himself a fairly cold month at the plate. The 30-year-old was about league average with a 100 wRC+, but he struck out at an alarming rate of 29.3 percent. Happ has also only hit three home runs this year, and one of them in the last month.

The longest-tenured current Cub also missed about a week with an oblique injury and he hasn't looked 100 percent since coming back. A rehab assignment probably would have been helpful for Happ to ramp back up and get his timing at the plate down, but it seemed like the team was eager to get him back on the field.

Happ is still seeing a lot of pitches and he drew 10 walks in May. We ideally want to see more out of Happ since he is an everyday player and his stats will likely smooth out over the course of the season. But he does look pretty bad at the plate right now.

Hot: Pete Crow-Armstrong

This one is obvious. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has ascended to superstar status over the last month. In May, the 23-year-old went deep nine times, drove in 29 runs, and averaged a little more than one hit for every game played.

This unexpected power boost has taken Crow-Armstrong's game to a new level, as he arguably runs the bases and plays defense better than anyone in baseball. Hitting for power and driving in runs (51 RBIs on the season) makes Crow-Armstrong one of the most well-rounded players in the league. Time will tell if he can keep it up for 162 games, but things were clicking at an impressive level for the young outfielder in May.