Matthew Boyd wasn’t signed to be the Cubs’ ace.
But the free-agent acquisition has pitched like it in 2025, and it has earned him a trip to the All-Star Game.
The left-hander was named to the National League All-Star team Sunday, joining teammates Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker, who were previously announced as elected starters in the NL outfield.
“You always have an extra spot at the table,” Boyd said after the Cubs’ 11-0 victory Sunday, “just in case destiny knocks.”
That the first-place Cubs, who’ve been one of the best offensive teams in the majors, only landed three guys on the roster might come as a surprise, especially considering the numbers put up by designated hitter Seiya Suzuki, catcher Carson Kelly and first baseman Michael Busch.
But that these three were included is no shock.
Crow-Armstrong and Tucker have been two of the more productive hitters in 2025. Entering Sunday, Crow-Armstrong ranked seventh with 23 home runs and was still the only player in the majors with at least 20 homers and 20 steals. Tucker ranked 10th in the game with a .901 OPS.
Boyd’s numbers have been equally impressive on the pitching side. After five scoreless innings against the Cards, he has a 2.52 ERA in 18 outings.
The Cubs signed Boyd after his short stint with the Guardians following a long injury recovery. He only made eight starts at the end of last season, plus three more in the playoffs, totaling just over 50 innings. And he was great with a 2.72 ERA in the regular-season outings.
In his 11th year in the majors, Boyd hadn’t made more than 15 starts in a season since 2019.
“I’m happy for Matt,” manager Craig Counsell said. “If you look at the last four years of his career, you go through these injuries, and there’s always a reason to keep going and always a reason to prove yourself. But at this stage of [his career] . . . to be an All-Star is a real lesson for everybody in why you never give an inch and you keep at it and you go about every day the same and you attack every day during your injuries the same. He’s clearly done that. This is one of the rewards for that.”
With lefties Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga atop the rotation, the Cubs didn’t need Boyd to dazzle at an All-Star level. But it’s a good thing he has: Steele is out for the season after having elbow surgery, and Imanaga missed nearly two months with a strained hamstring.
“This is what we thought could happen,” Counsell said of Boyd. “The health had just been a question. That was the little bit of the gamble, from Jed [Hoyer’s] perspective. But the performance, this is what he did in 50 innings [last year]. I know it was short, it wasn’t a lot of innings, but this is how he pitched. That part’s not a huge surprise. He has it in him.”
Boyd has done as much to keep the Cubs’ rotation afloat as anyone amid the injuries, something he’ll have to keep doing with right-hander Jameson Taillon on the injured list and expected to be out for more than a month.
But that challenge will come after Boyd returns from Atlanta — one of the top honors of his career. Then it will be time to get back to work.
“Man, I’m so grateful to be a Cub,” Boyd said. “I don’t take wearing the pinstripes lightly. . . . Those bleachers are packed 30 minutes before first pitch, and they always show you love. So to jog out there today, it was something a little extra. It’s special.
“It feels amazing to be loved. It feels amazing to be part of the history that is the Chicago Cubs, to get to wear the uniform, to get to do everything we can to win and try to bring a world championship back to Chicago.”