On the day Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong learned that he’d been voted into the 2025 Midsummer Classic, the first-time All-Star had a frank evaluation of teammate Seiya Suzuki’s season.
“I don’t think there should be any question,” Crow-Armstrong said Wednesday night. “Seiya Suzuki’s earned a spot on an All-Star team this year.”
The 23 pitchers/reserves for each team are set to be announced Sunday. The Cubs have at least two All-Stars — Crow-Armstrong and right fielder Kyle Tucker were selected for the starting lineup via the fan vote — for the game at the Braves’ Truist Park on July 15.
The National League squad and American League squad are filled out with player-ballot choices (eight pitchers and a backup for each position) and commissioner’s-office selections (four pitchers and two position players).
The Cubs have a handful of players making strong cases. Catcher Carson Kelly was the team’s other finalist in the fan vote. Second baseman Nico Hoerner has the second-highest fWAR among NL second basemen. First baseman Michael Busch’s position group is stacked with star power, but he still has the second-highest wOBA.
Left-handed starter Matthew Boyd has a top-six ERA (2.65) among qualified NL pitchers. Of the NL relievers with at least 20 appearances, four Cubs pitchers entered Thursday among the top 10 in ERA: Drew Pomeranz (0.00), Chris Flexen (0.64), Daniel Palencia (1.74) and Brad Keller (1.86). Palencia is one of 12 NL pitchers with at least 10 saves.
Regardless of the constraints of the All-Star system, Suzuki is having one of the most impressive offensive seasons on the team.
“He’s one of the best hitters around the league,” Tucker said. “So hopefully he can join us in Atlanta, as well. But he’s been doing a phenomenal job all year.”
Suzuki entered Thursday with the fourth-highest slugging percentage (.550) in the NL among qualified hitters. His career-high 23 home runs led the team. And he led the majors in RBI with 73.
“I think driving in runs is a real skill,” Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly said Thursday in a conversation with the Sun-Times. “I know there’s a lot of talk about, ‘Well, you have to have players on base to be able to drive in runs.’ But those are also high-pressure situations. You’re getting the pitcher’s best stuff. The pitcher is trying to keep you out of the air; he’s trying to get you on the ground.”
Those situations, Kelly has noticed, have naturally helped hone Suzuki’s intent in the batter’s box, along with the impact of watching Tucker’s approach up close every day. Suzuki has most often hit third in the lineup, behind Ian Happ and Tucker, who get on base at a high clip.
“The way that [Suzuki is] looking to drive the baseball is different from years past,” Kelly said. “In years past, it was a little ‘back the ball up a little deeper, think lower line drives and use the whole part of the field.’ And he was really good at that. But the way that he fits in our lineup, the opportunities that he’s been in with runners in scoring position, that calls for him driving balls in the air.”
Dialing up the aggressiveness in his approach — and looking to do damage early in the count — has helped Suzuki snap out of slumps or extend hot streaks the last couple of years. And his in-zone swing rate is at a career high (53.1%), according to Statcast.
With how hard Suzuki hits the ball — in the 92nd percentile in average exit velocity — even line drives have a good chance of carrying over the fence.
“I’m trying to get my good swing off,” Suzuki said of his jump in homers. “That’s my first priority. But, if I’m being honest, I’m not satisfied just because there are times where I’m hitting home runs, but there’s times I’m not. So being more consistent for the second half, that’s one of my goals.”
He has set a high bar to clear.
When presented with Crow-Armstrong’s All-Star plug, a humble Suzuki jumped in before the end of the question.
“I’m OK,” he said. “Obviously, if I’m chosen, I would want to go. But my focus is on trying to get to the postseason. That’s more important.”
