Chicago Cubs: lineup and rotation patterns
What 2023–2025 Retrosheet data tells us about how the Chicago Cubs set their lineups and used their pitchers.
A record of past seasons, not a forecast: 2027 projections will be added once rosters take shape. About these team pages.
Our read on the Chicago Cubs
The Cubs ran one of the most stable lineups in baseball in 2025: 110 different batting orders, third fewest, and every fielding position had a player who started at least half the games. Their most common exact lineup was used 9 times. Ian Happ led off most often (84 games), and Seiya Suzuki was the main DH with 102 starts (63%).
The changes that did happen followed the opposing starter's hand. Michael Busch started every game against a right-handed starter (100%) but 26% against left-handers, while Justin Turner started 83% against left-handers and 8% against right-handers. Carson Kelly, who made the most starts at catcher (98), started 83% of games against left-handers and 55% against right-handers. Matt Boyd led the rotation with 31 starts.
Where the Chicago Cubs ranked in 2025
| Chicago Cubs | Avg | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 92 | 81.0 | 6 |
| Different batting orders | 110 | 135.9 | 28 |
| Same order as previous game | 9.3% | 4.8% | 4 |
| Most uses of one order | 9 | 4.8 | 2 |
| Same leadoff as previous game | 83% | 75% | T-12 |
| Players in the lineup | 21 | 24.4 | T-26 |
| Games vs LHP | 42 | 42.6 | T-18 |
| Lefty hitters vs RHP | 3.4 | 3.6 | 23 |
| Lefty hitters vs LHP | 2.1 | 2.0 | 16 |
| Starting pitchers | 13 | 13.2 | T-16 |
| Top-five starters' share | 79% | 76% | T-9 |
| Starts on 4 days' rest or less* | 32% | 31% | 17 |
| Starts after 10+ days* | 6% | 5% | 11 |
| Primary catcher's starts | 60% | 58% | 14 |
| Players at DH | 9 | 10.7 | T-18 |
| Top DH's share | 63% | 51% | 9 |
Three seasons at a glance
| Season | W–L | Games vs RHP / LHP starters | Different batting orders | Different players in the starting lineup | Starting pitchers used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 83–79 | 111 / 51 | 135 | 23 | 11 |
| 2024 | 83–79 | 128 / 34 | 96 | 23 | 11 |
| 2025 | 92–70 | 120 / 42 | 110 | 21 | 13 |
Who played where, 2023–2025
| Position | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Yan Gomes (92) | Miguel Amaya (103) | Carson Kelly (98) |
| 1B | Cody Bellinger (44) | Michael Busch (130) | Michael Busch (131) |
| 2B | Nico Hoerner (134) | Nico Hoerner (141) | Nico Hoerner (153) |
| 3B | Nick Madrigal (61) | Christopher Morel (73) | Matt Shaw (114) |
| SS | Dansby Swanson (147) | Dansby Swanson (146) | Dansby Swanson (159) |
| LF | Ian Happ (152) | Ian Happ (144) | Ian Happ (146) |
| CF | Cody Bellinger (81) | Pete Crow-Armstrong (109) | Pete Crow-Armstrong (153) |
| RF | Seiya Suzuki (130) | Seiya Suzuki (71) | Kyle Tucker (115) |
| DH | Christopher Morel (59) | Seiya Suzuki (59) | Seiya Suzuki (102) |
Month by month in 2025
| Month | Games | W–L | Games vs LHP | Different batting orders | Starting pitchers used | First start of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | 31 | 18–13 | 6 | 21 | 6 | – |
| May | 27 | 18–9 | 10 | 22 | 8 | Moises Ballesteros, Nicky Lopez, Reese McGuire |
| June | 26 | 13–13 | 8 | 14 | 7 | none |
| July | 24 | 14–10 | 7 | 16 | 8 | none |
| August | 29 | 15–14 | 5 | 22 | 7 | Owen Caissie, Willi Castro |
| September | 25 | 14–11 | 6 | 20 | 7 | Carlos Santana, Kevin Alcantara |
Batting order and positions in 2025
Most starts by batting slot: 1. Ian Happ (84); 2. Kyle Tucker (115); 3. Seiya Suzuki (125); 4. Pete Crow-Armstrong (61); 5. Dansby Swanson (55); 6. Nico Hoerner (52); 7. Pete Crow-Armstrong (39); 8. Matt Shaw (37); 9. Matt Shaw (73).
| Position | Next most starts (leader: see above) | Players who started there | Starter changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Reese McGuire (37) | 4 | 65% |
| 1B | Justin Turner (27) | 3 | 35% |
| 2B | Jon Berti (4) | 4 | 8% |
| 3B | Jon Berti (22) | 7 | 34% |
| SS | Nico Hoerner (3) | 2 | 4% |
| LF | Seiya Suzuki (14) | 4 | 10% |
| CF | Willi Castro (4) | 5 | 10% |
| RF | Seiya Suzuki (32) | 4 | 29% |
| DH | Kyle Tucker (19) | 9 | 41% |
Against left- and right-handed starters
| Opposing starter | Left-handed | Right-handed | Switch-hitters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | 3.4 | 4.5 | 1.2 |
| Left-handed | 2.1 | 5.8 | 1.2 |
| Player | Bats | Start rate vs RHP (starts) | Start rate vs LHP (starts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Turner | right-handed | 8% (9) | 83% (35) |
| Michael Busch | left-handed | 100% (120) | 26% (11) |
| Carson Kelly | right-handed | 55% (66) | 83% (35) |
Gaps may reflect timing, not a platoon (guide).
Rotation and rest in 2025
| Pitcher | Throws | Starts | First start | Last start | Median days of rest | Starts on 4 days or fewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Boyd | LHP | 31 | March 30, 2025 | Sept. 24, 2025 | 5 | 11 |
| Colin Rea | RHP | 27 | April 13, 2025 | Sept. 26, 2025 | 5 | 8 |
| Shota Imanaga | LHP | 25 | March 18, 2025 | Sept. 25, 2025 | 5 | 8 |
| Jameson Taillon | RHP | 23 | March 28, 2025 | Sept. 27, 2025 | 5 | 7 |
| Cade Horton | RHP | 22 | May 16, 2025 | Sept. 23, 2025 | 5 | 7 |
| Ben Brown | RHP | 15 | March 31, 2025 | July 27, 2025 | 5 | 2 |
| Javier Assad | RHP | 7 | Aug. 12, 2025 | Sept. 28, 2025 | 5 | 2 |
| Justin Steele | LHP | 4 | March 19, 2025 | April 7, 2025 | 5 | 1 |
| Rest before start | Chicago Cubs | League average |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days or fewer | 32% | 31% |
| 5 days | 43% | 49% |
| 6 to 10 days | 19% | 15% |
| More than 10 days | 6% | 5% |
Catcher and DH in 2025
| Games | Team-games | Primary catcher started | League average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 162 | 60% | 58% |
| Day game after a night game | 32 | 56% | 44% |
| All other games | 130 | 62% | – |
| Player | DH starts | Share of DH starts |
|---|---|---|
| Seiya Suzuki | 102 | 63% |
| Kyle Tucker | 19 | 12% |
| Moises Ballesteros | 16 | 10% |
Most common lineups in 2025
The most common exact batting order was used 9 times, more than the club average of 4.8.
Lineup 1 (9 times, last on June 28, 2025): 1. Ian Happ LF, 2. Kyle Tucker RF, 3. Seiya Suzuki DH, 4. Pete Crow-Armstrong CF, 5. Dansby Swanson SS, 6. Michael Busch 1B, 7. Nico Hoerner 2B, 8. Matt Shaw 3B, 9. Reese McGuire C.
Lineup 2 (8 times, last on July 4, 2025): 1. Ian Happ LF, 2. Kyle Tucker RF, 3. Seiya Suzuki DH, 4. Pete Crow-Armstrong CF, 5. Dansby Swanson SS, 6. Michael Busch 1B, 7. Carson Kelly C, 8. Nico Hoerner 2B, 9. Matt Shaw 3B.
Lineup 3 (5 times, last on April 11, 2025): 1. Ian Happ LF, 2. Kyle Tucker RF, 3. Seiya Suzuki DH, 4. Michael Busch 1B, 5. Dansby Swanson SS, 6. Nico Hoerner 2B, 7. Pete Crow-Armstrong CF, 8. Matt Shaw 3B, 9. Miguel Amaya C.
Top nine vs RHP (29/120): Carson Kelly, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker, Matt Shaw, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki.
Top nine vs LHP (12/42): Carson Kelly, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ, Justin Turner, Kyle Tucker, Matt Shaw, Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki.
Our own calculations from Retrosheet game logs, regular seasons only: notes, methodology.