Chicago Cubs' X-Factors: The Under-the-Radar players Who Could Make a Huge Impact

If the first week of the 2025 season has proved anything, it's that if Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki are healthy, the Chicago Cubs may just have two of the best hitters in the entire National League.

However, for as great as Tucker and Suzuki have been, it's important to remember the Cubs are 5-4 on the season and there is the fear that the sweep of the Athletics has skewed the true version of the Cubs that we will see during the 2025 season.

Given the offseason the Cubs have had, they are still a team that will need to excel on the margins if they are going to reach the postseason. Fortunately, that is one area of the Cubs' roster construction that Jed Hoyer actually did well with.

3 under-the-radar Cubs players who will have huge impact in 2025

1. Jon Berti, Utility man

Jon Berti is the bench piece the Chicago Cubs thought Miles Mastrobuoni and Nick Madrigal were. Berti is a capable hitter at the Major League level and can play across the infield and in the outfield. As Nico Hoerner continues to gain his strength back and Matt Shaw learns on the job, Berti will be a valuable addition to the Cubs' bench.

2. Carson Kelly, Catcher

The production the Cubs got from the catching position during the opening months of the 2024 season was atrocious. Fortunately, Carson Kelly's hitting for the cycle this week has already made us forget about that.

3. Ryan Brasier, RHP

It hasn't been an encouraging start to the season for the Cubs' bullpen. Ryan Pressly hasn't looked comfortable as the team's closer and Eli Morgan has been getting squared up fairly easily during the opening week of the season. Julian Merryweather hasn't allowed a run this season yet, but his underlying metrics suggest that is more out of luck than his pitching. All that to say the Cubs will need a healthy Ryan Brasier when he returns from the IL. Otherwise, the bullpen could be a big need once again.