Chicago Cubs’ Bottom of the Order: The Unlikely Heroes of MLB’s Hottest Offense
CHICAGO — Carson Kelly found himself in an unusual spotlight last Friday. Batting eighth, the Chicago Cubs catcher had already made a significant impact with two home runs and five RBIs, contributing to a thrilling 13-11 comeback victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
As he prepared for his fourth at-bat in the eighth inning, Kelly was taken aback by the chants from the stands: “Car-son, Kel-ly. Car-son Kel-ly.”
“I had to take a step out,” Kelly shared with ESPN, grinning the next day. “‘Wait, is that actually what they’re saying?'”
Chants for a catcher batting at the bottom of the order are rare in MLB, but so is the month Kelly and the Cubs’ lower lineup are having. Fast forward a few days, and it was the Cubs’ No. 7 hitter, Pete Crow-Armstrong, who received similar adulation.
“P-C-A, P-C-A,” echoed through Wrigley Field during the Cubs’ two-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week. Crow-Armstrong, a native of L.A., earned the spotlight by slugging an impressive .897 against the Dodgers in their seven-game season series. The Cubs’ 7-8-9 hitters are making headlines, rivaling the production of other teams’ top hitters, as Chicago has surged to the top of MLB’s run-scoring leaderboards.
Heading into their weekend series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cubs are averaging 6.3 runs per game, nearly a full run higher than the next best team, the New York Yankees, who average 5.5 runs. The key has been the bottom of the order, featuring Crow-Armstrong, Kelly, and fellow catcher Miguel Amaya. This trio, along with newcomer Kyle Tucker, has transformed the Cubs’ offense into the league’s best in the early season.
“This team is a completely different ballclub than the one we saw in Tokyo,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts remarked. “They’re playing a lot better.”
The Cubs’ trip to Japan in mid-March for a two-game series against the Dodgers was a low point, with their offense managing just four runs in two losses. It was reminiscent of last year’s struggles when they missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive full season, finishing with 83 wins. However, late in the season, something clicked for young players Crow-Armstrong and Amaya. Crow-Armstrong, in particular, began to show why he was a first-round pick by the New York Mets in 2020 before being traded to the Cubs for Javier Baez. Known as PCA, he’s a five-tool speedster with a brash yet endearing personality. His OPS surged by 150 points in the second half of last season.
Amaya, once a promising prospect derailed by injuries, found his form by eliminating a leg kick, resulting in a 200-point OPS increase from the first to the second half of last year. The Cubs added Kelly via free agency this winter, and he’s delivered a remarkable 1.413 OPS in 14 games.
The bottom of the Cubs’ order is thriving.
“Me and Miggy [Amaya] talk about that a lot,” Crow-Armstrong told ESPN. “We take a ton of pride in being at the bottom and producing at the bottom, and f—ing turning the lineup over.
“That’s where we belong right now.”
The numbers back up their success. As of Wednesday, the Cubs led the majors in home runs (13) from their 7-8-9 hitters. According to ESPN Research, that’s as many home runs as 21 other organizations have from their 1-2-3 hitters and as many as two entire teams, Boston and Toronto, have overall.
“Last year, I felt like our offense really struggled because the bottom of the order really wasn’t producing,” said president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.
The players’ individual transformations took different paths. Crow-Armstrong refined his swing, Amaya eliminated his leg kick, and Kelly, with a career-high OPS+ of just 112 in a single season, now boasts an OPS+ of 293.
“I finally found something I believe in and know that works,” Kelly said. “I’m not chasing a certain result. You have to go through the ups and downs to learn what it takes to be a big leaguer.”
Kelly’s performance has even prompted Crow-Armstrong to slow down on the bases when hitting behind him.
“I have no inclination to steal when Carson is hitting,” Crow-Armstrong quipped. “It looks like he’s seeing f—ing beach balls.”
Perhaps the best illustration of the Cubs’ offensive depth is what happened the day after Kelly hit for the cycle in Sacramento: He got a day off.
“The fact that he gets an off day the day after he hits for the cycle and the day after a two-homer game is pretty funny,” Crow-Armstrong said with a laugh.
The Cubs are getting the best version of Kelly, who’s hitting .342, something the Diamondbacks hoped for during his tenure with them from 2019 to 2023. He hit 18 home runs in his first season in Phoenix but never reached the level he’s at now, hitting long balls against his former team, including a three-run homer that sparked chants last Friday.
“Carson Kelly is a way different player than when we had him,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said. “Good for him. We always believed in the potential. It seems like it’s coming together for him.”
Hazen sees similar potential coming together for the Cubs, whose offense mirrors the Diamondbacks with power and speed.
“PCA is a stud,” Hazen continued. “That was probably more of an age/experience situation …. Their lineup is way deeper, way more dangerous, and way more dynamic than I remember being last year.”
Indeed, the Cubs are the first team in major league history to compile 35 home runs and 35 stolen bases in the first 25 games of a season. They lead all of baseball in batting average (.265), on-base percentage (.346), stolen bases (40), and OPS (.806), while tied with the Yankees for first in slugging and third in home runs.
“We’ve been consistent against everyone,” said the longest-tenured Cub, Ian Happ. “Scoring late, adding on. We’ve done it against everybody. It’s been 1-9, the ability of guys to get on base and make things happen. Every day is someone different.”
The Cubs have indeed faced “everyone,” ending the toughest strength-of-schedule month of any team in baseball this season. They’ve already won season series against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks while splitting six games with the San Diego Padres. All three teams are off to strong starts, and the Cubs have played 20 games against NL West opponents, suggesting easier days ahead.
While the bottom of the order has been the difference-maker, one player near the top is also contributing. Tucker has been as good as advertised in his first month with the team, becoming the first Cubs player since 1900 to record at least seven home runs and seven stolen bases within the team’s first 26 games.
“He’s unbelievable,” Crow-Armstrong stated simply.
Not everything has been perfect for Chicago. The team has a glaring hole at third base after sending down struggling prospect Matt Shaw, while shortstop Dansby Swanson is off to a slow start, striking out 33 times in 104 at-bats. However, Swanson contributed in Wednesday’s win over the Dodgers, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs in another thrilling Cubs victory, 7-6 over the reigning World Series champions.
Even after his performance, Swanson redirected the conversation to the bottom of the order, the driving force behind the Cubs’ 16-10 start, which has them in first place in the NL Central.
“Seeing a guy like Miggy or Pete grow up is really fun to see,” Swanson said. “The work, the conversations, the advice, you start to see it show up in real time. As a group, it’s a huge reason we’ve had the start that we’ve had.
“There’s no drop-off down there. It’s impressive.”
Originally Written by: Jesse Rogers
