Carson Kelly dominates April once again. His powerful bat, elite metrics, and clutch hitting ignite the Cubs' hot start.
Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly loves the month of April.
Last year, Kelly was the Cubs' best hitter in the first month of the season. The veteran batted .360 with seven home runs, one double, one triple, and 21 RBI across 17 games in March/April. He was simply unstoppable at the plate.
Kelly hit for the cycle in just the third game of the year and had a 22.4% walk rate by the end of April. While his overall numbers eventually regressed, he was a consistent bat in Chicago’s lineup throughout the 2025 campaign.
This season, Kelly is off to another strong start at the plate. He entered Sunday’s contests slashing .340/.450/.520 with two home runs, three doubles, 10 RBI, and 10 walks in his first 17 games and has been swinging a hot bat over the past two weeks.
The 31-year-old has a hit in 10 of his last 11 games and was the hero in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the New York Mets. Kelly came off the bench and launched a go-ahead pinch-hit three-run home run that proved to be the difference in the victory.
Kelly has been one of the Cubs' best hitters in the early going. He continues to be a pleasant surprise at the plate, and his early-season metrics suggest his strong numbers should continue into May and the summer months.
Kelly ranks in the top 10% of the league in xwOBA (.435), expected batting average (.328), expected slugging (.566), average exit velocity (94.3 mph), hard-hit rate (57.1%), and squared-up rate (36.4%). He also has an elite walk rate (16.7%) to go with a top strikeout rate (13.3%).
It has been impressive seeing Kelly hit the ball hard to start the season. His Batting Run Value (5) on Baseball Savant ranks in the 89th percentile, and he already has a 0.9 offensive WAR in the early going.
Kelly is proving to be one of Jed Hoyer’s best pickups. The veteran signed a two-year, $11.5 million deal last offseason and then posted a career-best 3.6 WAR in his first season with the Cubs in 2025. He totaled 17 home runs, 13 doubles, 50 RBI, and 48 runs scored during that campaign.
Given the way Kelly is hitting the ball early on, he could finish with even better numbers in 2026. The Cubs have a really strong catching tandem with Kelly leading the way and Miguel Amaya backing him up.