Three Cubs snag Silver Slugger nominations. But do Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, or Kyle Tucker actually have a case to win baseball's top offensive honors?
Three Chicago Cubs players received some well-deserved recognition this week, each being named a finalist for the 2025 Silver Slugger Award.
The Silver Slugger is handed out every year to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League (AL) and National League (NL). Unlike most media-driven awards, this one is voted on by MLB managers and coaches — the people who know firsthand which hitters keep opposing dugouts up at night.
Each position has three finalists in both leagues, with the exception of the outfield, which features six nominees and three winners.
For the Cubs, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and right fielder Kyle Tucker were among the six National League outfielders nominated. Joining them on the ballot are Juan Soto of the Mets, Kyle Stowers of the Marlins, James Wood of the Nationals, and Corbin Carroll of the Diamondbacks.
Second baseman Nico Hoerner also cracked the list, joining Arizona’s Ketel Marte and Milwaukee’s Brice Turang as finalists at second base.
Hoerner Stands No Chance
Let’s be honest — it’s tough to make a strong case for Hoerner here. Marte was on another planet offensively this season, racking up 28 doubles, 28 home runs, and posting an .893 OPS — nearly 150 points higher than Hoerner’s mark.
While Hoerner actually led all second basemen in FanGraphs WAR (4.8 to Marte’s 4.6), the Silver Slugger is an offensive award, plain and simple. And by nearly every metric, Marte was the superior bat. His batting value on FanGraphs was almost double the next-highest second baseman in baseball.
PCA’s Not Quite There Yet
As for Pete Crow-Armstrong, it’s a similar story. The Cubs’ young center fielder took a big step forward in 2025 — especially in the power department — but his second half did him no favors.
Over his final 57 games, PCA hit just .202 with a .578 OPS. His on-base percentage for the year sat at .287, which is actually just one point higher than his 2024 mark.
No matter how much raw talent and defensive brilliance he brings to the table, that’s not going to cut it for a Silver Slugger — not when Juan Soto hit 43 home runs and led the National League in both stolen bases and on-base percentage. Corbin Carroll also feels like a lock after going 30–30 with a league-best 17 triples and a career-high .883 OPS.
Meanwhile, James Wood probably played his way out of contention with a brutal second half. Despite his early breakout, he finished with an .825 OPS and an MLB-worst 221 strikeouts.
Tucker’s the Best Bet
That leaves the real question: Kyle Tucker or Kyle Stowers?
Stowers has the edge in home runs (25 to Tucker’s 22) and OPS (.912 to .841), but Tucker logged 140 more plate appearances, collected more hits, stole 25 bases to Stowers’ five, and posted a higher on-base percentage. He also contributed more overall value with the bat and on the bases.
It might come down to what the voters — managers and coaches — value more: the power numbers or the total body of work. If they prioritize sample size, consistency, and impact across all facets of offense, Tucker’s got a real shot.
If any Cub is going to walk away with hardware, it’s him.
The Cubs were also nominated for Offensive Team of the Year, though that one feels like more of a nod than a serious chance. Still, three individual finalists and a team nomination? Not a bad sign for where Chicago’s offense is headed.