The Chicago Cubs are 32-21 and have a two-game lead in the National League Central ahead of a six-game homestand against the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds.
The offense is one of the best in Major League Baseball with the addition of Kyle Tucker, but most knew that this addition would help the Cubs.
One acquisition that nobody thought would make much of a difference is catcher Carson Kelly.
Kelly, 30, signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract with a mutual option for 2027. He hasn’t just been an underrated signing; he has arguably been the best catcher in the NL.
He doesn’t qualify to be on any lists because he has split time with Miguel Amaya, but his stats in 32 games are incredible.
In 103 at-bats, Kelly is slashing .301/.425/.612 with nine home runs and 24 RBI. He has walked more than he has struck out and is a solid defensive catcher who calls games well.
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Another under-the-radar addition in the offseason is left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd.
Boyd, 34, has been injured a lot since 2019. He only made eight regular season starts with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024, but his dominance in the playoffs went unnoticed.
The Cubs signed him to a two-year, $29 million contract with a mutual option for 2027 and haven’t looked back.
Boyd has anchored the starting rotation with Justin Steele done for the year and Shota Imanaga dealing with a hamstring strain. Boyd is 4-2 with a 3.42 ERA in 10 starts and has a 56:15 strikeout to walk ratio.
Boyd struggled in his last start against the Reds, but he carried a sub-3 ERA up until that point and is scheduled to start Wednesday’s game against the Rockies at Wrigley Field.
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