The Chicago Cubs sealed their place in the 2025 MLB postseason after two straight years of 83 wins and falling just short of the playoff tournament. How did the Cubs put it all together and get over the hump? Here are six key areas that led to the return of October baseball on the North Side.

CINCINNATI — Jed Hoyer’s end of season press conference last October featured a comment that drew the ire of many fans.

“There’s no question that when you’re looking to beat projections, when you’re looking to have that excellent season, having players just outperform expectations is a big part of it,” Hoyer said at the end of the second-straight 83-win season for the Cubs.

It gave the impression that the Cubs would bank on just internal improvements by player to overcome that 83-win threshold. We now know that they also had the intention of adding a high-WAR player, Kyle Tucker, whom they added later in the offseason.

But, as the Cubs sealed their first playoff berth since 2020 and their first in a full season since 2018, Hoyer’s comments did ring true in the reaching that target. Pete Crow-Armstrong was expected to be a key contributor for the Cubs this season, his Gold Glove-caliber defense alone was proof of that. But his offense was the wild card – he had a solid end to 2024, but there was plenty of uncertainty on which Crow-Armstrong would show up at the plate.

For much of the season, it was an elite-level bat. A player on the precipice of a 30-30 season and one whose all-around game has helped produce a 5.9 bWAR, the 10th-best mark in baseball and the fifth-best in the National League. He was the National League starter in center field at the All-Star Game and for much of the first half was in conversation alongside Shohei Ohtani to be the NL MVP.

Players with 25 HR & 25 SB before the All-Star break 🤩

• Bobby Bonds – 1973
• Eric Davis – 1987
• PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG – 2025 pic.twitter.com/84y5If014k

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 10, 2025

It’s a big bump in production from the roughly 3-WAR season he was anticipated to have by many prediction models and the type of season that helps a team “beat projections”.

“Obviously what he did for the first half of the season was incredible,” Hoyer said earlier this month. “I think he struggles and he still, every day, helps us win games. His defense is just unbelievable.”

The numbers he’s put up have been almost forgotten because of his struggles of late. Since Aug. 1, Crow-Armstrong has been hitting .171 with a .489 OPS and just two home runs. That’s weighed on the Cubs’ breakout star this season and his coaches have tried to help him keep perspective on his struggles.

“[Assistant hitting coach Juan] “Pipi” [Cabreja] has been saying it to me recently where it’s like, ‘You’ve already done your season stat-wise,’” Crow-Armstrong said in Pittsburgh. “I did not go into spring training thinking I’d hit [29] home runs, whatever.

“So, there is perspective in that, that I’m continuing to find out about and understand a little bit more.”

That doesn’t mean these struggles are acceptable to the 23-year-old.

“When you’re killing rallies and when you feel like you’re not driving in runs that should be driven in, I think the impatience becomes a little more heightened,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I just need to do a better job of really buying into one swing can change it, one feel, jam shot, bunt, playing the ball game. Not just hitting a homer to get out of something.”

Because if he does regain his form, it could really help people forget about these late-season woes.

The story of the season with him will be how he finished with whatever impressive counting stats with elite defense at a premium position and contributed to a playoff team. The second-half struggles might be forgotten – especially if he bounces back in the final stretch of the season and in the postseason.

“It’s all a wash [in the playoffs],” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’m taking whatever feelings I got into that day and that game so absolutely ready to go compete. Keep this [thing] going.”