Who's heating up? 3 Cubs players on a tear right now

As the Chicago Cubs continue to lead the National League Central, these three players are lighting up the stat sheet for the North Siders on the precipice of the All-Star break.

1. Matthew Boyd

After a plethora of groans from the fanbase and writers alike (myself included) when the Cubs signed Matthew Boyd in the offseason, the lefty has been nothing short of fantastic in a Cubs uniform. After a nine-strikeout effort against the division rival St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, which was a season-high for Boyd, the southpaw's ERA sits at a stellar 2.52 in 18 games this year.

The 34-year-old also has the sixth-lowest WHIP in the National League (1.07) with 96 strikeouts over 103 innings pitched. Boyd is also tied for fourth in the league with 12 quality starts out of his 18 total appearances. These numbers have rightfully earned Boyd the first All-Star nod of his career, as he has been the team's most valuable pitcher this year.

With injuries to Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad, and Justin Steele at varying points this season, Boyd has been a steady presence in the Cubs' starting rotation and helped keep the team afloat through the barrage of injuries. If Boyd can stay healthy and continue to produce at this rate, the two-year, $29 million contract the Cubs' front office gave him last offseason will continue to look like a steal.

2. Michael Busch

First baseman Michael Busch is building on his breakout rookie campaign from last year and taking his game to another level. The 27-year-old currently has 18 home runs, 56 RBIs, and is leading the team in OPS (.950), slugging percentage (.566), and batting average (.297).

Although he was snubbed from the All-Star game, fans are starting to realize just how valuable Busch has been. Over the last month, the left-handed batter has collected 38 hits, driven in 26 runs, and smacked 11 home runs, including a historic three homers in last Friday's contest against the Cardinals on the Fourth of July.

Two of Busch's home runs over the weekend came against left-handed pitching, and he is continuing to prove that he deserves playing time against southpaws. Manager Craig Counsell has been apprehensive to start Busch against all opposing lefties, but Busch may have finally flipped the script on his skipper with his outstanding performance over the weekend. And thankfully so, because Busch is under team-control for another four seasons after 2025, and he is looking like a cornerstone of Chicago's future.

3. Seiya Suzuki

Designated hitter Seiya Suzuki is having the most productive year of his MLB career and it's not even close. We are only halfway through the 2025 season and the Japanes-born hitter has already set career highs in home runs (25) and RBIs (77). His RBI mark is also leading MLB, making Suzuki another Cubs All-Star snub.

The 30-year-old is also posting elite numbers in barrel % (19.3), hard hit % (51.4) and exit velocity (92.9) while pacing the team in the power-hitting categories. This version of Suzuki is a major reason the Cubs lead the league in run differential (+126) and are second in runs scored (492).

Suzuki has one more year of team control left in 2026, and it may take a lot to extend or re-sign him if he keeps hitting like this. In the meantime, we can enjoy the fact that he, along with Busch, Kyle Tucker, and Pete Crow-Armstrong, comprise the core of the most exciting Cubs offense in years.