Who's hot, who's not? A check in on key Cubs performers to close out the first half

The Chicago Cubs have been going through a rough patch of late. While they're still holding onto the NL Central division, their grip on the top spot has loosened a bit.

The St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers have all managed to make this a real playoff race. As is the case during any period of ups and downs, some Cubs players are red hot, others are scuffling more than it is comfortable.

Which of the Chicago Cubs players fit into the former category and which fall into the latter? We take a look at the players who are finding their mid-summer stride and those who need to pick up the pace.

HOT: Michael Busch is a one-man wrecking machine for the Cubs

Offensively, absolutely no one has been hotter in Wrigleyville than Michael Busch. Since June 1, the Cubs' first baseman has slashed .330/.404/.614 with seven home runs and 20 RBI. Those numbers combined to allow him to post a 182 wRC+ over the last month.

Busch has been even hotter over the last two weeks, hitting .364 since June 16. Want an indication of just how hot Busch has been since June began? Half of his season's 14 homers came in the last 30 days.

HOT: Kyle Tucker is bashing the ball again

While absolutely no one on the Cubs is raking the way that Busch has over the last month, Kyle Tucker is quite close. Since June, the man that everyone in Chicago wants extended has slashed .306/.398/.551 with five homers and 20 RBI. He's also posted a 165 wRC+ over that time.

Like Busch, Tucker has been even better over the last couple of weeks. Since June 16, the outfielder has a 1.062 OPS and has posted an absolutely insane 196 wRC+.

NOT: Ian Happ has shown power but little else

The Chicago Cubs' offense has been hit or miss over the last month, and no one is a better example of what's been going on than the team's leadoff hitter. On the one hand, Ian Happ is tied for the team lead in home runs with nine since June 1. On the other hand, he's slashing just .195/.292/.451 over that time. He's even worse over the last two weeks.

While he's still walking some, Happ has turned into an all-or-nothing hitter for the Cubs. They'll take his power surge, but they'd surely like to see him getting on base a bit more.

NOT: The Cubs' bench is a four-headed monster of bad

Rather than breaking down Reese McGuire, Justin Turner, Vidal Brujan, and Jon Berti individually, it's just quicker and easier to say that the Chicago Cubs' bench has been awful. Brujan and Berti have been near automatic outs, reaching base twice (one single and one walk) in 25 plate appearances since June 1.

Justin Turner hasn't been much better, slashing .208/.259/.250 (44 wRC+), and while the backup catcher McGuire had a small power surge, he hasn't offered much else.

HOT: The Cubs' bullpen carried the pitching staff

Outside of a couple of guys who were nothing more than cannon fodder and are no longer on the roster, the Cubs' bullpen has been very, very good since June 1. Drew Pomeranz, Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Brasier, Chris Flexen, Ryan Pressly, and Daniel Palencia all posted ERAs under 2.00.

Over the last two weeks, there have been a few slip-ups here and there, but the Cubs' bullpen has been a stalwart, which continues to be wild considering how bad it was, to a man, at the beginning of the year.

HOT: Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga stand apart from the Cubs rotation on the struggle bus

I'm not sure anyone saw Matthew Boyd effectively becoming the Cubs' ace in June and July, but the man's resurgent 2025 has been especially good over the last month.

Over six starts, Boyd has posted a 3-1 record with a 1.93 ERA. Those numbers are awe-inspiring considering the struggles of most of the rest of the rotation. Shota Imanaga's return couldn't have come at a better time as the Cubs bide their time until Jed Hoyer shores up the rotation at the trade deadline.

NOT: Cubs' rotation has been mostly bad since June

The struggles and demotion of Ben Brown have gotten the most attention, but Jameson Taillon, Colin Rea and Cade Horton haven't actually been much better since June 1.

Taillon has posted a 5.57 ERA and allowed seven homers in six starts. Rea has a 5.19 ERA and allowed six homers, and while Horton hasn't given up the long ball as often, he's posted a 5.47 earned run average over the same period.

Over the last two weeks, all three starters have been even worse with both Taillon and Horton posting ERA's over 10.00 since June 16. Rea's not far behind with a 7.84 earned run average.

The Chicago Cubs' offense has been good enough over the last month to really make a run and take control of the NL Central. It's been the starting pitching that has held the team back. Thankfully, this team should start adding reinforcements soon, as that's been the team's oft-stated top deadline goal.