Seiya Suzuki’s Game 1 heroics write a shocking new historic Cubs chapter

After over a month and a half without a home run, Seiya Suzuki found his power stroke to close out the 2025 Chicago Cubs' regular season. He clubbed five long balls in his final four games against the Mets and Cardinals, heating up at the perfect time before the Padres were welcomed into San Diego. The bright lights of the postseason and a very locked-in Nick Pivetta didn't slow him down in Game 1 either.

Pivetta had only allowed one hit the first time through the order and had sent down eleven in a row before Suzuki stepped back to the plate in the fifth inning. With the Cubs down a run, he did what he'd been doing all last week and cut through the wind to send one to the left field bleachers and knot things up. Carson Kelly then followed with a home run of his own for the lead, which proved to be enough with the bullpen never letting the Padres up for air across the remaining 4 2/3 innings.

It was both a relief and a joy for Cubs fans to see Suzuki continue his late-season revival after a second half in which he only hit .213/.336/.351 with a 100 wRC+. He's one of the key players the team needs to be hot to find extended postseason success, alongside Kyle Tucker, Michael Busch, and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Not only has he delivered so far, but the right fielder/designated hitter has also made some history.

Counting the regular season, Suzuki has a five-game homer streak, which would be the longest in Cubs history. It also marks the first time in baseball history that any player riding a four-game streak has continued it in the playoffs. Suzuki's in some excellent company with the few sluggers who have ever had the opportunity to perform such a feat.

For all of Suzuki's struggles in the second half, this season has been a realization of everything the Cubs hoped he could be when they signed him in 2022. He eclipsed 30 home runs for the first time in his MLB career with a 123 wRC+ to boot, providing a measure of power the team has sorely lacked since the World Series core. Earlier in the season, it was arguable that he was the best slugger in Chicago, memorably going blow-for-blow with PCA. Seeing it translate to the postseason is the culmination of Jed Hoyer and company's hopes when bringing him aboard amid a multi-year rebuild.

The Cubs need Suzuki and the rest to keep the power coming

The Cubs' offense as a whole showed signs of turning a corner towards the end of the season. In September, their collective wRC+ of 113 was good for fourth-best in the majors and second-best in the National League. Nobody had quite as extreme a turnaround as Suzuki of late, though, and they'll need that bat to keep rolling to send the Padres packing. Game 2 will pit them against old Cubs farmhand Dylan Cease, who got on a roll in September with a 3.12 ERA throughout the month.

If Game 1 was any indication, this series could come down to who can leave the yard more often. Suzuki and Kelly ensured the Cubs were on the right side of things on Tuesday, but they need to keep making the most of each at-bat to get the best of the Padres' vaunted pitching staff before the bullpen gets active. With the homer-prone Shota Imanaga bound to get the bulk of Wednesday's game after opener Andrew Kittredge, it's imperative to keep the pressure on San Diego and allow Craig Counsell to get aggressive to preserve a lead.

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