In a few weeks, Cubs fans will know if Cade Horton winds up winning National League Rookie of the Year. He closed as the favorite at BetMGM with -275 odds, but Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin was right behind him with +175 odds. 

While we wait for that decision to come next month, let’s dive into some team awards for the 2025 season. We will give out a Best Defender Award, a Rookie of the Year Award, a Cy Young Award, and an MVP award from the 2025 season. 

So, let’s dive in and see which Cubs players come away with some hardware. 

Best Defender: Pete Crow-Armstrong

This one should come as a surprise to no one, as Crow-Armstrong was the best defender on this Cubs team. He was electric in center field and ranked toward the top of the league in several defensive categories.

His defensive WAR (2.0) ranked ninth, his Statcast Fielding Run Value (21) ranked fourth, and both his Outs Above Average (24) and Runs Prevented (22) ranked first among all outfielders. Every defensive stat you saw throughout the season likely had Crow-Armstrong at the top of that list. 

The 23-year-old made highlight play after play in center field, and it never got old. He finished with the most five-star catches in a season in MLB history. Five-star catches are defined as catches that have a less than 25% chance of being caught. Crow-Armstrong caught 19 of those in 2025 (10 more than any other player). 

Runner up: Nico Hoerner

Rookie of the Year: Cade Horton

Considering Horton is the favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year, he was easily the team’s best rookie in 2025. He finished with an 11-4 record, a 2.67 ERA, and 97 strikeouts across 118 innings pitched. 

Horton made his MLB debut in early May, when Shota Imanaga landed on the 15-day injured list due to a hamstring strain. With no options to replace Imanaga in the rotation, the Cubs turned to their top pitching prospect. Despite pitching only a limited number of innings at Triple-A, the rookie eventually emerged as a top rotation arm for this Cubs team throughout the 2025 campaign. 

The 24-year-old was also the best pitcher in baseball in the second half of the season. Horton had a 1.03 ERA and 54 strikeouts across 61 ⅓ innings from July 20th onward. That 1.03 ERA was the best in baseball among all starting pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched. 

Runner up: Matt Shaw

Cy Young: Matthew Boyd

This one was the toughest award to give out yet. Both Matthew Boyd and Horton deserve to win this Cy Young Award. Boyd was fantastic for most of the season before struggling in the final two months. As for Horton, he was the best pitcher in baseball in the second half, but he had some rougher outings to start his MLB career. 

At the end of the day, though, Boyd gets the edge over Horton for this award. The southpaw was untouchable in the first few months of the season, which helped him earn his first All-Star selection. The 34-year-old had a 2.20 ERA and 108 strikeouts across his first 20 starts in 2025.

Even though Boyd had a 4.82 ERA over his final 10 starts, he was a major reason why the Cubs were in a great position in the second half to make the playoffs. He also edged out Horton in the WAR department, as the veteran finished with a 2.6 WAR compared to the rookie’s 2.0 WAR. 

Runner up: Cade Horton 

MVP: Nico Hoerner

There are plenty of Cubs players who are deserving of this MVP Award. Ultimately, it came down to Hoerner, Crow-Armstrong, and Michael Busch. Hoerner led the team with a 6.1 WAR, Crow-Armstrong became just the second player in Cubs history to have a 30-30 season, and Busch had a team-high 34 home runs while playing exceptional defense at first base. 

However, the MVP award goes to Hoerner. He was Chicago’s most consistent player throughout the year and impacted the game at every level. While the home run numbers obviously aren’t going to be there, he produced when he needed to with runners in scoring position, was one of the team’s best defenders, and was a menace on the basepaths with 29 stolen bases. 

Hoerner's consistency and ability to impact the game offensively, defensively, and on the basepaths make him the team’s MVP for the 2025 season. He hit a whopping .315 with runners in scoring position (third-best in the Majors), and his team-leading 6.1 WAR gives him the edge for this prestigious award.